The spark of redemption

Chapters

A traumatic commence
Book of the Stolen Soul
The cloaked stallion
A normal Canterlot wedding
The Empire in Flames
Kind Sombra returns
The secret divulged
All Hope seems lost
Help finally arrives
The spark of redemption
The aftermath

A traumatic commence

There she was, walking down the long, cold, and wet corridors of the changeling hive. She had a tall and skinny figure. She was dark gray with a line of green running down her back. She had turquoise hair and green eyes, but what was most terrifying about her was probably the random holes she had on her hooves, and on her horn. Her wings were that of an insect. It was the infamous, all powerful, and feared, Queen Chrysalis.

"My Queen!" "My Queen!" A smaller Changeling called out to Chrysalis, trying to get her attention. He was not as scary looking as Chrysalis, he was a lot smaller, but was still a changeling.

"What is it." Chrysalis turned her frustrated head and responded in a terrifying tone, which made the changeling back away a bit.

"Uhhhh, ohhh, I just came to say, he's awake my Queen." He responded with fear, which made Chrysalis smile, but her smile was mostly due to another topic.

"Finally!" "It certainly took him long enough, prepare him for my arrival." Chrysalis raised her hoof as any dictator would due to there servants.

"Yes my Queen." The changeling wasted no time and turned the opposite direction and dashed off too his destination. He kept running and running down the long corridors of the changeling hive, passing by dozens of rooms. Some of theses rooms had ponies trapped inside. They were tied up to the walls and tortured, beaten to a pulp, some of them were being attacked, brutally. The changelings did need live victims to feed on their love, and that is of course what a changeling's diet mostly consists of.

The changeling kept running though. He wasted no time, because he knew of Chrysalis' plan, and could make no mistake in his part of it. He kept running, down long uneven staircases which made him trip, but it only took him one second to get up and keep going. He had finally reached his destination, with Chrysalis only five minutes behind. And what was his destination you might ask? Well it was a prison cell.

It had a bed with a pillow and a mattress, a sink with a mirror and a bench (not bad for a considered "prison cell"). A small lantern the hung from the ceiling of the cell illuminated a faint green light, which was just enough to light the room. The cell door was as normal as any other door, but it had a large lock that was magic resistant. There was a unicorn pony laying on the bed, rubbing his own head, he was still unaware of where the hell he was, or why he was there.

The changeling unlocked the cell door and entered to find the helpless unicorn still rubbing his head. "Come on, get over the pain, the Queen is on her way and will be here any second, now, GET UP!" The changeling demanded the stallion in pain to get up and present himself to Chrysalis, but he refused.

The dark stallion pierced a menacing look at the changeling with his fierce red eyes which made the changeling snap.

"How dare you! Treat me like that after what we have done for you! I will personally show you your place here bastard!" The changeling was threatening King Sombra himself. Sombra rose from the bed before the changeling could strike him and with one blow from Sombra, the changeling blasted backward threw the wall and out the other side. The changeling was gasping for air as three of his rib bones were sticking out from his chest. His back left leg was bent the wrong way, and a piece of stone hit his left eye and blood was dripping out from his wounds.

"Well I can see somepony made himself at home." Chrysalis stood just behind the wounded changeling who was begging for her Queen's help. Two different changelings then appeared behind her and carried the wounded changeling away for treatment.

Sombra tried his best to maintain an upright posture, but he was still lightheaded, and in pain. "Aagghh, errrrr, eeee!!" Sombra stroked his own head as it felt like needles were pierced into it.

"The pain your experiencing is from the healing spell, without it you would be dead, do not worry the pain will leave in a few hours." Chrysalis walked towards him. She was a little taller than him, but Sombra was way more muscular, and Chrysalis liked that, a lot.

"What happened? Why am I here? I was in the Crystal Empire, and then, I fell." He was trying so hard to remember what happened, but could only make out faint images from his brain.

Chrysalis smiled and walked closer to Sombra. "Well to make this short, you tricked Luna, and then attacked the Crystal Empire, but when the Crystal heart was restored, it destroyed you, oh and you lost your horn, but we revived you, healed you, gave you a new horn, and a new opportunity, if your interested."

Sombra then remembered, the hole ordeal with Luna, and the Crystal heart. "How long was I out?" Sombra asked in a demanding and rude tone, but Chrysalis responded anyways.

"You were out for a hole day, but the Crystal Empire attack was three days ago." Chrysalis said this then ordered any nearby changelings to leave, she didn't want any being thrown threw walls like the last changeling was. "Oh, and I might also add that the hole world thinks your dead Sombra, just thought you might want to know."

"Really? No pony but you and the other changeling's know I'm alive?" Sombra was actually surprised no pony in Equestria knew he was still alive.

"How do you like your new horn? Does it suit you my king?" Chrysalis' smile widened as she eyed down Sombra.

"Well, I can't say I'm impressed." Sombra looked in the mirror, there were no scares, nothing to prove his body was completely destroyed, but revived again.

"Shut up Sombra. You know if you were a truly smart "King" you would've let me do the attacking, and the planning." Chrysalis moved closer to Sombra until she was only about a foot from his muzzle.

"Oh you think you could've done better Chrysalis? Let us look back when you attacked Canterlot and the royal wedding. Mmmmmmmm, and how well did that go uh?" Sombra puffed his chest, competition was growing in the room.

Chrysalis lifted an eyebrow. "How do you know about Cadance's wedding? I don't see how that is possible, unless you were there of course." Chrysalis' eyebrow rose even more, and Sombra backed down, lowering his head a little.

"Oh come on, don't tell me you know of the wedding because this "I love Luna" thing. Sombra's head lowered even more, as he came to realise that somehow, Chrysalis knew about him and Luna.

"Umm....ehhh....errrr I...I..l don't love her, that's.....that's just a rumor." Sombra REALLY struggling to speak under his embarrassment.

"Well, I really don't care, but even if you did love her, I got to say Sombra, you have a poor taste in mare's." Chrysalis' evil smile on her face widened.

"Don't give me that bullshit Chrysalis, you were never something to look at, at least to my eyes." Sombra hissed a little, he got a little angry at Chrysalis' sly remark.

The two looked at each other for a minute before Sombra broke the silence. "Why did you save me? You obviously went out of your way to resurrect me and heal me? And earlier you said a new opportunity, what did you mean by that?" Sombra's tone was as serious as ever, he wanted to get to the bottom of this little "game" now.

"Well I have a proposition for you, if your interested." Chrysalis smiled at Sombra, he thought about it for a minute. Something different happened to Sombra then, before he just agreed to do whatever Chrysalis wanted to do with him, he thought of Luna, and the amazing nights he had spent with her. Did he really want to continue on this path? Or was Luna more valuable to him than Chrysalis and her evil plans. He finally spoke out loud, once again breaking the silence.

"I am listening."
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

It was midnight in Canterlot. The moon was at it's peak, all the wealthy and poor ponies of the famous city were fast asleep. lovers were snuggling together under their bed covers, the homeless made do with any shelter they could get their hooves on, foals were in bed dreaming of what all children dream of. The only ponies to be seen still awake were they bat pony night guards, guarding the castle so no unexpected crimes decided to be committed under the cover of dark, and of course the princess of the night herself.

Princess Luna was trotting down the hallways of the Canterlot castle. It was dark, and guards ponies were they only ponies out of bed. She had just finished all of her royal duties and was preparing to quit for the night. Her expression was as depressed as ever, she had never felt so defeated. Just when she thought everything was going to be ok, it all turned south for her and the love she shared with the stallion she loved, King Sombra.

She was just in front of her bedroom door when a night guard had approached her rear. "Your highness." The bat pony bowed with respect to her princess.

"What does thou want, we are tired." Luna turned and faced the kneeling guard.

"Forgive me your highness, but her highness princess Celestia request an audience with you immediately in her chambers."

"At this time of night? surely thou most be mistaken." Luna said with a smirk on her face, she was exhausted and did not feel the need to walk all the way to her sisters bedroom at this time of night.

"Forgive me again your highness, but I'm afraid she is insisting." The guard rose from his bowing position but not dared look Luna in the eyes, for even he could fell her pain.

"We are confused, why does our sister wish to speak with us at this hour, ummm?" Luna launched her head forward looking for a name on the bat ponies armor.

"Night Core your highness, my name is Night Core. I am a private in the Night guard." The guard said this with hesitation and with fear. Princess Luna eyed him down and smiled, she could see the fear in his eyes.

"Do not be afraid Night Core, does thou know why our sister calls for us?" Luna backed away and lifted her head with pride, Night Core rose his body, revealing his Lunar armor to his princess.

"I'm afraid I have no idea your highness, I only know she really wants to speak with you immediately."

"Uhhhh, very well, shall you escort me to Celestia's chambers." Luna walked past Night Core in all her glory.

"Very well your highness, I shall." Night Core had escorted Luna during the five minute walk to Celestia's bedroom door where they stopped.

"Thou shall stay here Night Core." Luna said to the night guard who immediately stood too attention next to the door, and Luna entered to see Celestia, laying on a pillow in front of a fire. She was reading a book, the book looked unfamiliar to Luna, but Luna didn't really care. She entered and shut the door behind her.

"Sister, is everything ok?" Luna asked Celestia with concern in her voice, usually at this time Celestia would be sound asleep, but for her to request an audience with Luna at midnight? Something was definitely wrong.

"Everything is great actually, for me at least." Celestia stood from where she was laying and walked towards Luna.

'What do you mean Tia?" Luna slightly stepped back from Celestia, she had taken her comment as an insult. Celestia turned the opposite direction and walked toward the side window of her bedroom.

"Luna, stop trying to put this off, what is really bothering you, no lies this time, ok?" Luna then knew that she couldn't put this off anymore. Ever since she lost Sombra, well we can just say it was down hill from there. Celestia actually knew what was wrong, she knew Luna loved Sombra, and she also knows Sombra had feelings for her, but he still carried on his dark path and betrayed Luna, and attacked the Crystal Empire.

Luna sighed heavily, but finally got the strength to speak. "I think you already know the problem, actually I know you know the problem, it's just....well........it's been hard since Sombra.

"Luna it's only been three days since the Crystal empire incident, I know it's hard, I know you two really did feel for each other, but...."

"But what, just because he betrayed me once we had to kill him! He just deserved to die!" Luna cut off Celestia mid sentence, Luna's rude remark made Celestia a little angry.

"Look, Sombra told you he would stop, but he went behind your back and put innocent lives at risk. What if he was victorious?! Would you still love him if he had killed Cadance and Shinning and took the Crystal Empire for himself?" Celestia really raised her voice, she really had some steam that needed to let loose.

"Luna I love you, you're my little sister, you're one of my many responsibilities, I'm sorry killing Sombra broke your heart, I'm truly am, but you must understand why we had to do it." Luna started to tear, she fell to the ground with her hooves over her head.

"Oh Luna, I truly feel sorry for you, but I don't want you to beat yourself over this, and I certainly don't want you to beat other ponies over this, it will be hard, but we will move on, we are the leaders of Equestria, and we must. Do you understand Luna?"

Luna was laying on the ground, sobbing still. Celestia then walked over and sat next to her and stroked her back, she gave her hurt sister the comfort she deserved.

"Do you understand Luna?" Celestia raised Luna's chin with her front right hoof and wiped the tears from her cheeks.

"Yeah, I guess I do, I'm so sorry Celestia, I'm sorry for everything." Luna hugged Celestia in a tight embrace, Celestia hugged her sister back.

"Shh it's not your fault Luna, remember, Sombra betrayed you, it will always be on Sombra."

"Celestia? do you think he will ever come back?" Luna looked towards the ground, still sobbing and hugging Celestia as all sisters would.

"No, I think he's gone for good this time Luna, I'm sorry."

Celestia supported Luna, giving her the comfort she deserved. She hated to see her this depressed about Sombra, but she also feared of what the future would bring for everypony if Luna kept being this sad, this depressed.

The two alicorn sisters stayed with each other for the remainder of the night. Luna and Celestia would start the next day knowing the conflict would be over, for good.

But they were all deceived.

Author's Note

Please forgive me on any spelling or grammar mistakes. Even though I enjoy writing im not the best at it, and my english grades in high school can certainly prove that.

If you really enjoyed the story so far not to worry I will have the next chapter uploaded soon, please give me any good advice about my writing, and it would mean alot to me if you give this story a thumbs up.

Thanks!!!!! :)

Book of the Stolen Soul

Another day has passed by, just as slow as the previous one for Luna. Although Luna was still in disarray, everypony else in Canterlot, Ponyville, and in the Crystal Empire were singing, dancing, and celebrating the death of king Sombra, but not Luna. Although, everypony didn’t know that Sombra was more alive than ever, and he was getting very comfortable at the changeling hive, the world just couldn’t know yet, it was too soon.

Luna had just awoken from a long cold sleep. Every time she awoken from bed she would remember the amazing nights she had always spent sleeping with Sombra, she wanted him back so bad, but deep down inside she knew it was truly time to move on, but it would take some time for that to happen. The truly terrible part was Sombra had only been “dead” for a couple of days, so let’s just say Luna has some hard times ahead.

The clock struck eight p.m. on a warm spring day. Luna rose from her bed, sighed heavily, and walked into the bathroom to get ready for breakfast. When she was in the bathroom she looked at herself in the mirror. When she looked at herself she saw somepony different. She didn’t see the beautiful, immortal, mare of the moon the world was accustomed too, no, she saw nothing, no soul, no spirit, just depression, and defeat,

Luna never had an easy life, even for a princess. She got banished to the moon for a thousand years, she tried to cover the world in eternal night twice, and when she did destroyed Nightmare Moon, everypony feared her, like she was still the monster she destroyed, some ponies still to this day are afraid of Luna because of the Nightmare Moon ordeal. Luna had no pony, no pony to talk to, no pony for support in the hard times, all she had was Celestia, but Luna wanted more then just her sister, she wanted a special somepony to comfort her, and support her, somepony that would love her and not fear her, somepony who didn’t see her as a princess, but a lover. Sombra was supposed to be that somepony, Lune knew in her heart he would be, but she was obviously wrong.

Luna then opened the shower door and turned the handle clockwise, and warm water started to run down from the shower head. She made sure the bathroom door was locked, and climbed into the shower and closed the shower door. The steam from the hot water started to fill the bathroom, the hot water ran down Luna’s mane and rump, she let out a soft moan as the hot water massaged her back.

Luna remained in the shower for ten minutes before exiting. She dried her mane and her body, and put on her regalia and crown, ready to start yet another long, cold, lonely night. She exited the bathroom but before she could exit her room for breakfast, she noticed that a book was laying on her dresser. Luna had a small bookshelf next to her bed that contained a few books, but she rarely touched them.

“Funny, how did you get here? I don’t recall moving you from the book shelf. Now let’s put you back where you belo...” Before Luna could finish her sentence she looked at the book cover curiously, it looked familiar to her. She walked closer to the book and picked it up. It was heavy for a moderately short book, it was red with a black crystal sketched on the cover, their was writing just above the image. It said; “The darkest secrets are at bay.” Luna had no bucking clue, she had never seen this before until now.

She flipped open the book, the first page only had a few words. “Property of the stolen soul,” was written on the top of the page. The writing was strange, it wasn’t cursive, nor was it normal English writing, but it was legible, at least to Luna. Luna still could recognize it, she had seen it before, she was sure of it. Luna closed the book and examined the cover once more.

“Yes! That’s it!” She had finally remembered, it was the same book the Celestia was reading over the fire just a couple of days ago.

“How in the world did it end up here? Celestia must’ve put it here, but why?” Before she could finish talking to herself, which was a habit of hers, there was a knock on the door.

“Come in.” Luna called out loud enough for the pony knocking outside to here her voice, then Luna quickly opened her cabinet drawer and placed the book in it. Luna didn't want anypony else to know about the book until she knew what it was or where it came from.

“You’re majesty princess Luna.” A bat pony guardsman wearing his armor had opened her room door, but not dared enter, Luna knew exactly who it was.

“Ah, well if it isn’t mister private Night Core, you seem on the edge a little, is everything ok?” Luna asked as she turned around asking him without even looking at him.

“Of course you’re highness, Celestia had sent me to see if you were coming to dinn.....I mean breakfast.” Night Core remembered that Luna eats breakfast at night, and dinner in the morning.

“She sent you? That is strange.” Luna put her front hoof up to her chin, knowing that at this hour their would still be Solar guards on duty, but Celestia went out of her way to send a Night guard? It was a little strange, but Luna didn’t worry about it, there were to many other things to worry about.

So then Luna walked down the royal hallways toward the direction of the royal dining area. Two Solar guards bowed and opened the door for Luna as she entered the dining room to see Celestia sitting at the table.

“Ah, sister, it’s about time, I was beginning to think you weren’t coming, is everything alright?” Celestia asked Luna while she raised her hoof telling the waiters to bring Luna her coffee and breakfast. Luna sat down at the table. Coffee was poured into her cup, it was black coffee, which was just the way she liked it.

“Celestia, is it ok if I ask you something?” Luna placed her cup of coffee down and looked towards Celestia.

“Of course Luna, what seems to be the issue.”

“Well when I got out of the shower this morning their was a unusual book on my dresser, it was red with a drawing of crystals on it.” Luna had told Celestia everything she knew about the book, but their was still tons she didn’t know about it, she only had the chance to flip threw two pages.

“Who was the author of the book? I may be able to identify it by it's author.” Celestia was still eating her wheat bread and chicken dumpling soup, which was her favorite besides cake of course.

“The only resemblance of a name I was able to find on the book was the “Stolen Soul”, do you have any ideas sister?” Luna picked up her coffee and took another sip, then used her magic to slice her toast.

“I’m sorry, but I honestly have no clue, that is a reference I have never heard of, but perhaps you should speak to Twilight Sparkle about it, she knows a lot more about books that I do, she literally lives in them.” Celestia had finished her soup and was served a generous slice of chocolate cake.

“YOUR’RE HIGHNESSES!!!!” Both alicorns suddenly froze when a bat pony night guard ran into the middle of their feast, both Luna and Celestia weren’t very happy about it.

“This had better be good enough for you to rush into our dinner and scream at the top of you lungs like that!” Celestia stood up angry at the guardspony.

“I’m sorry, but Canterlot is under attack!”

Both Luna’s and Celestia’s eyes widened and both their jaws dropped.

Celestia was the first to stand and speak. “Attack? Who would dare attack Canterlot?” Celestia speared the guardspony with her eyes, and Luna did the same, at first they had a hard time believing the guardspony.

“Please, you must believe me, plea.......” Before he could finish he was interrupted by Luna, she walked towards him.

“Just explain everything. Every detail, as clearly as possible.” Luna knew deep down that something had the night guard really spooked.

“Some solar guards spotted a changeling in the garden, he or she made a magic portal and dozens of other changelings appeared threw the portal.” Before the night guard could finish explaining, Celestia and Luna raced towards the gardens, they had had dealings with the changelings before and knew that those dealings lead to, mixed results for both sides.

Celestia and Luna had finally reached the gardens, and to their surprise they saw a green portal, around it 11 changelings, each one of them had a prisoner tied in bonds. The prisoners were solar guards, Night guards, and even two maids.

“Changelings! How dare you enter Canterlot and tie up our guards and maids! You shall release them and leave at once!” Celestia snarled a very aggressive manor, sounds Luna had never heard Celestia make, Luna could tell, Celestia was very pissed! Celestia hated the changelings after what happened at Cadance’s wedding, but Luna just hated Chrysalis, she knew the other changelings were bad, but she hated Chrysalis with all her royal might.

There was a moment of silence until it was broken by Luna. “Release them, and Leave at once!” Luna snarled almost as aggressively as Celestia did.

“Or what?” A tall slender figure came crawling threw the portal, it was Chrsyalis.

“Will you banish me to the moon, miss princess of the sun!” Chrysalis walked closer to Celestia and Luna, it was a full on stare down between them.

“Chrysalis, why are you here, and why did you Kidnap these ponies?” Celestia tried hard to contain her anger, she thought she could peacefully resolve the situation.

“Oh I just came to stop by and say hello, these ponies will be a gift to me from you, for my hospitality.” Chrysalis chuckled evilly, Celestia and Luna have never made a more deathly death glare in their immortal lives before.

“So is kidnapping ponies hospitality? I don’t think so, now release them!” Luna stepped forward and hissed at Chysalis, to Luna’s surprise, Chrysalis’s smiled widened.

“So when did you become the aggressive one Luna? I always thought of you as a gentle pony, is it because your dearly beloved stallion made his unforgettable demise, on you’re families hooves I might add.” Chrysalis turned her attention to Luna, Luna was completely shell shocked that she knew of Sombra.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about Chrysalis! Now leave!” Luna denied the statement she made, even though Luna was really denying the truth.

“Ok I will, but with my love slaves.” Chrysalis turned and faced the portal, tension was rising, then dozens of solar guards appeared behind Luna and Celestia, they waited for their princesses command.

"This is your last warning Chrysalis, release my subjects and leave immediately!" Celestia snarled even more aggressively, of the many things she cared about, the safety of her subjects were more valuable to her than anything else.

"Or what Princess." Chrysalis walked closer towards Luna and prepared herself for a fight. Luna and Celestia prepared to give the command for attck, but before Celestia could give the order to attack, Chrysalis reared up and raised her horn. It started to glow green and a huge flash emerged from it, knocking Luna, Celestia, and all the solar guards off their hooves. Then Chrysalis jolted for the portal, the other changelings not far behind her. The kidnapped ponies were being tossed threw the portal one by one, Celestia, Luna and the other guards were still dizzy and unaware of whet was happening, the blast that came from Chrysalis caught all of them off guard.

When they finally had come to their senses, it was to late. The portal closed, Chrysalis and the other changelings were all gone, and all the hostages along with them.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Luna was the first the get on her hooves, then Celestia, then the others.

"Search ever part of Canterlot for any trace of them, then report back to me." Celestia commanded the Captain of the solar guard, he was large, and was almost as tall as Celestia. He was very muscular, and handsome. He had a white coat, and a pearl mane, he was a pegasus, his name was Royal Shield.

"Yes your majesty." Captain Shield then turned and commanded his soldiers to start looking at once. Celestia turned to see Luna standing in the garden alone, looking at the setting sun. Luna had not yet rose the moon, she didn't exactly get the chance to. Just when Luna thought things were going ok, this happens, and 11 hostages are gone.

"Well find them Luna, I wont stop to they are all back home safely." Celestia put a hoof on Luna's right shoulder.

"Sister, I think something bigger is at work here." Luna turned and looked at Celestia with fear in her eyes, which was something Celestia had seen in her eyes in ages.

"Their changelings, they probably kidnapped them so they could feed on their love, so why do you say that?" Celestia asked confused but worried also.

"Well I know changelings feed on ponies love, but how did Chrysalis know about Sombra? How did she know I loved him? How could she possibly know?" Noise was starting to set off in the background. Captain Shield was gathering as may guards he could find to search Canterlot, as her princess commanded.

"If their is something bigger sister, we will get to the bottom of it." Luna cheered up a little, she didn't know what to do. Should she help with the search? Should she help create a plan to save the hostages at the changeling hive? She had no clue.

"Maybe you should lay this on off, you've had it pretty rough lately, why don't you go to Ponyville and ask Twilight about your book like I recommended, and I will oversee the search and rescue plan for the hostages." Celestia and Luna turned and walked back into the castle, their heads were still a little sore from the blast, but they would live.

"Really? You would do that for me Celestia?"

"Of course I would, I would recommend leaving in the morning if you're going to Ponyville."

"As a matter of fact I think I will, thanks sister." Luna and Celestia turned and walked out onto a balcony. Celestia lowered the sun, followed by Luna raising the moon.

"Your welcome Luna." Celestia hugged Luna and turned and exited the balcony, she started looking for Captain Shield to get a repot on his progress.

What a crazy night, Luna thought to herself, it went from a relaxing long hot shower, to a normal breakfast/dinner with Celestia, to Chrysalis attacking Canterlot and taking 11 hostages, and all in one night.

Luna sighed, she was still on the balcony, she looked up at the moon, and thought of Sombra, she would do anything to have him in her hooves again, but at this point it doesn't seem thats going to happen. Luna's thoughts were suddenly broke by pain coming from her stomach. For the past couple of days Luna has had constant stomach pains, but these pains were different from any regular gas pains, Luna knew something was wrong, for these pains to keep happening. She agreed to herself hat if they didn't go away in the next week, she would see a doctor, but she had bigger things on her mind.

Author's Note

Sorry it toke so long for me to finish this chapter.

I am working on the next one and will hopefully have it finished within the next couple of days.

-------------thanks!!!!!!!

The cloaked stallion

It was nine o'clock in the morning, solar guards were crawling threw throughout the streets in Canterlot, the city was in a full on lock down after the attack last night. Celestia was still working on a plan on saving the hostages Chrysalis took, but Luna's mind was on another thing, she was still curious about the strange book that appeared on her dresser the previous night.

Luna was on her way to the train station, she decided to take the 9:30 train to Ponyville, while Celestia would stay in Canterlot. Luna had the ability to alter her sleeping patterns, so on special occasions like this she could sleep during the night and work during the day, when she usually sleeps during most of the day, and is awake mostly at night.

As Luna walked in Canterlot towards the train station she saw dozens of solar guards in every direction she looked. They were checking the identities of everypony in the city, including other solar guards. They were searching alleyways, streets corners, even the sewers, which Luna thought was totally unnecessary but it was Celestia's orders. Luna was escorted by four solar guards equipped with swords, and spears. They were taking the security of the princess very seriously, as they should be doing.

Luna and her escort had finally reached the train station. The train was running a little late because of the security check just outside the border of Canterlot. Since what happened last night, all trains in and out of Canterlot were searched clean, and all passengers had to be identified. As Luna was waiting with the guards for the train to arrive she noticed something a little strange. Their was a pony, standing about ten feet away from her. He was definitely a stallion, his overall size proved that information, but he was completely covered by a black cloak. His face was covered, and he was completely silent. Luna could also not help but notice that his hooves were shaking, suggesting that something had the mysterious stallion spooked. Luna got suspicious and turned to the guard standing to the left of her.

"Guard, do you see that cloaked stallion over there?" Luna pointed towards him with her hoof.

"Yes your majesty, do you request to speak with him?"

"No, I want you to search him and bring him to me, something about him has me suspicious." Luna stepped away from the guards just slightly.

"As you wish your majesty, I will inform the conductor to hold the train if it arrives." The guard was thinking ahead, which was smart. He turned to his left and saw three solar guards standing to the left of him. He walked over there and talked to them.

"Hey you three!" The three guards were privates, and he was a Sergeant, which meant he out ranked them.

"Yes Sergeant!" The three privates saluted with respect and stood at attention.

"Her majesty princess Luna wants that cloaked stallion checked and brought to her immediately."

"Right away sir!" The three privates charged towards the direction of the cloaked stallion. The Sergeant escorting Luna was right behind them. The cloaked stallion noticed the three solar guards rushing towards him and he immediately bolted the opposite direction! Now it was obvious to everypony that the cloaked stallion was hiding something.

The guards chased the mysterious stallion threw the train station, the entrance to the station was blocked by guards searching any arriving or departing ponies. The stallion had no were to go. Princess Luna was watching the ordeal, she ordered the rest of her guards to charge after him, and at that point the cloaked stallion was being chased by about eight solar guards. The cloaked stallion then hit a corner, the exit to the station was on the others side of the charging solar guard squad dashing towards him, he had nowhere to go. Then a whistle sounded in the distance, it was the train. It came to an immediate stop and the doors to the passenger cars flipped open, and out came out a swarm of traveling ponies.

The large crowd of incoming travelers from the train gave the opportunity for the cloaked stallion to hide within the crowd. Before the leading solar guard could grab him, he vanished into the crowd. The guards searched everywhere, but couldn’t find him, but now they had the problem of telling princess Luna that they had lost him.

Luna could tell by their expressions that the guards lost the cloaked stallion as they walked back to her majesty. “Do not beat yourselves up over it, I want you to search the train, if you still can’t find him, then inform princess Celestia, and I will continue my journey to Ponyville.” Luna’s orders to the guards gave them a smile, they were sure Luna was going to rip their heads off for loosing him, but she wasn’t that upset.

“Yes your majesty.” The Sergeabt bowed, he then turned and ordered his men to search the train. The search would go one for about five minutes, delaying the train for it's departure to Ponyville. Luna then entered the train with four other guards by her side.

“We found nothing your highness, he is gone.”

“Well he was definitely hiding something, and I suspect it has something to do with Chrysalis’ attack last night. Inform princess Celestia, and tell her I have left for Ponyville.” Luna dismissed the guards, the civilians waiting outside were now allowed to board the train. Luna had her own private room in one of the train cars. It was a small room, it only contained two chairs, a small coffee table, and a couch, but it was to her likings. She entered her private room, she stationed her guards outside the door. She put the saddle bag she was carrying on the couch and opened it. Their was only one item inside, it was the mysterious book. She placed the book on the coffee table and stared at it. She couldn’t take her mind of it, it was like the book was calling to her. She looked out the window, only to start thinking about Sombra yet again.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________

In Ponyville, Twilight had just got out of a security meeting with Princess Cadance and her husband, Shining Armor. They disguised the new security measures that needed to be in place in Ponyville effective immediately. Some of their suggestions for Twilight were one of her own royal guard squads, which she thought was ridiculous, but it was a necessary precaution. After the security meeting was over, Cadance and Twilight parted ways, Twilight waved Cadance good by at the train station, but as she was walking home she was interrupted by a stallion who was carrying a message for Twilight.

"Your highness princess Twilight, I have a confidential message from princess Luna to you." The stallion was small, smaller than the average adult stallion size but he was just a messenger, it wasn't like he was the Captain of the royal guard or something.

"A message, from princess Luna? at this hour? About what?" Twilight was confused, at this hour Luna would usually be asleep.

"Sorry your highness, she wouldn't tell me why, but I know she is on her way here as we speak." The messenger handed the letter to Twilight and walked away.

Twilight walked back to her house and closed the door. She walked into the kitchen and sat down on one of the kitchen table chairs and opened the letter. When she opened the letter a smaller piece of white paper was inside, confidential was written in red across the paper. She unfolded it and started to read the message.

Dear Twilight Sparkle

I realize that I am visiting Ponyville for a short time without any warning given to you. Please forgive me but I have something that is really on my mind I need to speak to you about. I have also come to realize that I have picked one of the worst times to visit Ponyville, but with all the changeling attacks, my sister and I thought it would be a good idea for me to have a change in pace. I am visiting you because of a confidential matter no pony can know about, not even your most trusted friends. I hope you come to understand, I should be arriving at around noon.

Sincerely: princess Luna

Twilight folded the message back into the envelope and took it to her bedroom. She then placed the letter inside her private dresser and put a spell on the letter. Everypony besides her, Luna and Celestia will see a letter about security increase needs in Ponyville, not the secret matter that had Luna so desperate to talk with Twilight about. Twilight still had no idea what this was all about, Luna had not told her in the letter. She looked at the clocked and gasped.

“My goodness, it’s already ten o’clock, Luna will be here in two hours!” She rushed out her bedroom door and jumped down the stairs.

“Spike! Spike! Spike were are you?” Twilight searched everywhere for her trusted assistant.

“I’m here Twilight, what’s this all about? Are changelings attacking Ponyville like Canterlot?”

“Get ready, we’re going to have a visitor.”

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________

“I’m sorry I arrived with little warning to you Twilight Sparkle.” Luna and Twilight were walking side by side, they had just left the train station.

“It’s really no problem, I could use some more royal company now and then.”

“So I’m sure Cadance has already spooken with you about our new security proposal for Ponyville, has she not?” They were walking threw town, Luna was still being escorted by four solar guards.

“She has, but I still don’t understand? Sombra has been destroyed, so what is threatening us that has you and Celestia so spooked?” They had reached Twilight’s library, Luna left the guards outside so they could talk in private.

“Well the thing is Twilight, we don’t know. Equestrian has been attacked seven times since Sombra attacked the Crystal Empire, and we know of at least thirty hostages not including the ones Chrysalis took at Canterlot yesterday, being held captive at the changeling hive. We don’t know what is really happening, but we don’t like it.” They walked into the library and shut the door behind them. Luna was still carrying her saddle bag, which of course had her mysterious book in it.

“Ok, we are alone now Luna, what is this confidential situation you have that needs my assistance?” Twilight and Luna walked towards the living area of Twilight’s library and they sat at the table just in front of the fire place.

“Well, this is not really a problem, at least I hope, but it is a little mystery that had Celestia and myself completely dumbfounded.”

“Oh come on, some little problem has two immortal alicorn rulers dumbfounded? There obviously must be a mistake.” Twilight was clearly being sarcastic, which made Luna smirk a little.

"Well I'm not sure this is a little problem Twilight."

"Ok, but what seems to be the issue?" Luna dropped her bag on the floor next to the fire and sighed. She then pulled the book from the bag and set it on the table, Twilight stared at it with confusion.

"It's a book? You came to talk with me about this book?"

"This book is no ordinary book, it has dark magic, I didn't feel it when I first came across it, but now it's evil magic is really starting to hit me and Celestia."

"Were did you find it?"

"It was just sitting in my room, I have no idea how it got their or where it came from. I just got out of the bathroom, and there it was." Luna purposely left out the fact that she swore she saw Celestia looking in it the night she visited her, she failed to ask Celestia about that little discovery of her's either.

"You're definitely correct about the dark magic part, I am starting to feel it now too." Twilight pulled her head back away from it a little, and looked at it totally shellshocked. Whoever created this book, was a very powerful creature.

"I also searched the Canterlot archives and found nothing on it, not one fact about it was recorded in Equestria's long history."

"So we really have no idea what it is then, what is the title of the book?" Twilight still did not dare touch it, she was a little afraid of it actually, even though she has faced some pretty terrifying foes.

"Well the only writing is this...." Luna flipped open the book where it was signed "property of the stolen soul".

"Sorry Luna, but I know their is nothing in my library nor my brain that could tell you the slightest clue about this book, what about the rest of the pages?" Twilight finally got the courage to touch it, and picked it up.

"Their is nothing, all the pages are blank, I have checked every single one of them."

"Im sorry Luna, I have no clue." Twilight put the book back on the table and looked at Luna with defeat.

The two alicorns would stay with each other for the remainder of the day, but what they didn't know was that a pair of watchful changeling eyes were watching them, the question is not who (i'm sure we all know who at this point), but how, and why.

Author's Note

I'm working on the next chapter now, it will take longer this time, but I will get it done.
-------------------------:)

A normal Canterlot wedding

Luna found herself walking down a long narrow cavern, their were no lights, just crystals of different colors. Some were blue, some were white, black, grey, and red, but they all shared one common sight, they all sparkled in the night. It was surprisingly well light, the light from the crystals were to thank for that. Luna kept walking, for every step she took deeper into the cave, the light from the crystals got fainter and fainter. She felt something painful in her heart, something piercing her from the inside.

She kept going, wanting to stop, but not wanting to either. Finally something finally stopped her, it was a door. It was red with black crystals on it, she knew she saw that picture before, but couldn't recall. Luna stepped forward and opened the door. A foul smell came from that room. She had never smelled something that bad in her long immortal life, but the cause of that smell would shock anypony no matter how brave he or she was.

Their were bodies, dead ponies laying out. Their limbs were torn off, their bodies swarmed with cuts. Blood littered the ground. Their was so much blood Luna's blue hooves turned red with every step she made threw the carnage, but she still could not stop. Something in her was telling her to keep going and she did. She kept going until she saw another door. She had to find her way around the dead bodies to get to it though. This time it was blue, the same shade of blue Luna's mane was. The image on the door was a blue mare alicorn, and a grey stallion unicorn. They were standing right next one another.

Luna opened the door to see a hill covered in short green well cut grass. Their was a tree on top of the hill, under the tree is where he was. A grey unicorn with a black mane and a very handsome stature (at least to Luna's eyes). It was Sombra himself, the long lost lover of the princess of the night. Luna's eyes widened. She didn't believe it at first, but before she could call out his name he stood from were he sat. He was looking up at the sky. Their was a small hole on the top of the big room in the cave, moonlight was shining down from it. The next second Sombra fell right to the ground on his side.

Luna's eyes widened even more, they were so open she though they were going to fall out of her skull. She rushed to the top of where he fell. He was dead, blood was leaking from a deep cut wound from his neck. His right eye was missing. His horn was broken at the tip. Two of his rib bones were sticking out of his chest, and one of his back legs was completely dislocated. It was like he was tied to the back of a train and dragged for miles then thrown off of a bridge. But then everything went black.

Luna opened her eyes to see the sight of the clock reading 3 in the morning. She hated sleeping at night, but this troubling time period required her to sleep at night and not at day. But Luna's dreams are more troubling at night than at day. She as had nightmares about Sombra like this before, but this one felt real, almost like a vision. Luna moaned and stretched, she reached for the lamp and turned it on.

Luna had spent the night at a hotel in Ponyville. She let Twilight have the book for the night, only because Twilight was completely aggravated by the fact she could not find any information about it, she was determined to get something. Luna on the other hoof, was convinced it was a lost cause at this point, and should go back to Canterlot and help Celestia save the kidnapped ponies Chrysalis had took.

She was about to go in the bathroom when she realized that it was 3 in the morning, when you sleep at night you usually don't wake up until at least 5 in the morning, but Luna didn't give one flying fuck. The hotel she was staying in was pretty nice to her surprise. Of course it didn't come close to the five star hotels in Canterlot but was good enough for just one night.

Luna stepped onto the balcony of her bedroom. She looked down to see no pony in sight. Everypony was asleep. Except for the guards standing out side her bedroom of course. She liked the quit night. The light from the moon shined out the most beautiful reflections, but only if it was quit. At least that was what Luna thought, she couldn't really say about any other pony in the world, but once again, Luna didn't give one flying fuck.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________

“I’m sorry Twilight, but I must go back to Canterlot, I need to help Celestia with Chrysalis, and their is a wedding I will be attending tomorrow.” Luna was standing next To twilight in the train station. Four royal guards were surrounding them.

“Yep, I was aware of the wedding in Canterlot. Who is getting married?” Twilight turned to look at Luna, the train was almost here.

“Don’t worry about that Twilight Sparkle. Here, I want you to have this, it’s better off with you than with me.” Luna grabbed the book from her bag and handed it to Twilight. Twilight was still a little annoyed by the fact she couldn’t find a single trace about the origins of the book in her library, not even the Canterlot library, so Luna just decided to give up with the book, she had more important matters.

“Are you sure Princess Luna? You said it yourself, you can feel dark magic coming from the book.” The train arrived and stopped at the station. Luna and her guard squad prepared to board, but Luna turned towards Twilight.

“I’m sure Twilight Sparkle, you know if you want you can come with me to the wedding, it would be a good change of pace for you after all this security measure stuff.”

“No, I’m just too busy, maybe the next wedding. See you soon, Luna.”

See you soon, Twilight. Luna boarded the train with her guards right behind her, the conductor called out “ALL ABOARD.” Then the train was off.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________

“I’m almost done, just one more final touch and..........done, a perfect beautiful bride for the captain of the night guard himself, this must be very exciting for you.” The fashioner gasped at Lilly Tulip’s beautiful dress. It was white, with red strips running down the sides, and the end was tipped with a metallic gold finish.

“Oh yes, this is the day I’ve been waiting for since I graduated here in Canterlot. Marrying the most handsome, strong, and brave stallion I know.” Lilly Tulip was a white unicorn, with a violet red mane, and sparkly red eyes.

“If you don’t mind me asking, how is it like being with a bat pony?”

“It is different, I’ve caught him staying up all night before, he usually naps during the afternoon, but I still love him. I do think that it is annoying that I sometimes I have to practically beg him to come to bed with me, but at the end, we’re perfect.” Lilly turned and was ready to open the door to begin the wedding.

Meanwhile, the groom, was waiting impatiently for his beloved bride to enter the huge room were the procession would take place. Two couples would take their marriage vows, and live together until death due them part. The groom was a bat pony. He was muscular, handsome, tall, and perfect marrying material. He was black, with a swirling mane consisting of grey and white. His name was Brave Heart, and he was the captain of the night guard, most mares only dream of a husband like him.

Finally, the doors opened, the songs began, and Lilly started to walk down the rows of chairs seating all the invited guests. In front of her three flower girls were tossing tulips from baskets, everybody stood from their seats, as Lilly made it to Brave. Brave could do nothing but stare at Lilly's beautiful red eyes. Her dress made them look even more beautiful. After the couple exchangened vows, the procession ended, and it was time to cut the cake.

This is what the Lilly and Brave called, the family and friends social hour, were they would stand, talk, drink, and celebrate the wonderous occasion. After all the attacks though, guards had to be placed and stationed everywhere. Everypony had a indentity code, so no changeling guests could disrupt the wedding, like they did with Cadance's and Shining Armor's wedding.

Luna and Celestia were there, so was Royal shield, captain of the royal guard, a good friend of Brave Heart, and and few other familiar faces non related to the newly married couple, everypony else was family. Luna was still as depressed as ever, and you could see the hatred and vengefulness in Celestia's eyes. She wanted to get back at Chrysalis, but she couldn't right now.

Luna passed on the desserts, and the alcohol, she was still having bad stomach cramps, she was going to see a doctor, but she kind of forgot, she has just been so busy. With the attacks, the wedding, and her trip to Ponyville, she had no time for doctor visits.

"Im happy for you my faithful Captain, you have certainly chosen a beautiful mare for marriage." Luna was about to leave to go to the bathroom because of her cramps, but saw Brave standing alone by the food bar, probably getting Lilly a drink or something. Brave Heart was not related to Luna, and he certainly wasn't royalty, but he was the leading captain of her night guard, and probably her best solider, so she treated him with respect and knew him very well.

"Thank you, I honestly didn't think our relationship was going to end up like this, it seems like yesterday we went on our first date." Brave turned and looked at Luna for a moment, then turned and grab two wine glasses and filled them. "Shall I recommend some wine your highness." Brave held up a third glass and offered it to Luna.

"Oh no thank you, i've been trying to keep away from the alcohol these days." Luna rejected the offer for a drink, and instead just got a glass of water.

"Very well then, I better get this to Lilly, I promised her I would have a drink for her in less than thirty seconds, which was three minutes ago." Brave then turned and trotted towards Lilly and gave her one of the wine glasses.

Finally the wedding ended. Lilly and Brave got onto a carriage which was taking them on their honeymoon. Luna was one of the first to leave, she was exhausted and wanted to go to sleep for a few hours.

It was about midnight, everything had finally been cleaned up. Luna was already in her bedroom ready to go to bed. Her stomach cramps have gotten increasingly worse, but when she was in the bathroom she had a troubling idea of what could actually be causing them, she exited her bathroom completely shell shocked.

She didn’t know if she could sleep after what she discovered was causing her stomach cramps, but decided to just keep it to herself. Before Luna could jump in bed and pass out for the night she heard a knock on the door.

“You can come in.” Luna let go of her bed sheets and tried her best to make her look presentable, when she said ‘come in’ she forgot the fact that she was not looking her best, but she relaxed once she saw it was just Celestia.

“Luna, I’m sorry to disturb you, I was about to go to bed but wanted a word with you, do you mind?” Celestia closed the door behind her, she was worried because Luna left the wedding early without telling her, and Luna looked like she was in discomfort, which wasn’t a lie of course.

“Of course sister, what seems to be the issue.” Luna turned and looked Celestia in the eyes.

“Why did you leave the wedding so soon? I was having fun, I thought you would too.”

“Well I’m not feeling so great, I just need some rest Celestia.”

“I see, but you seem an little on the edge, are your sur.........” she was cut off by Luna.

“Yes I'm sure, now please leave me to rest.” Luna was starting to get annoyed, and really wanted to go to sleep.

“Ok, I’m sorry.” Celestia left immediately after that and closed the doors. Luna would then jump in bed. It was hard for her to fall asleep that night, she was a little anxious after what she discovered, but she slowly drifted asleep in memory of Sombra once again.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________

“What do you want! Don’t you see I’m resting!” Chrysalis rose from her resting place furious by her sudden interruption.

“I’m sorry my queen, but I have my report from Canterlot, and one of our spies has been caught trying to escape.” The changeling bowed with mercy and with respect, for he knew that death could be waiting for him any second. Chrysalis was more of a dictator than a queen, and any who betrayed her, or questioned her authority was either tortured or killed.

“Were was he caught?” Chrysalis changed her expression, she was curious to hear what he had to say.

“Spie 439 was about to escape on a train north, but was spotted by princess Luna in the train station and was chased by guards, but he escaped onto the train to Ponyville and made it back here from there.”

Chrysalis smiled “Finally, inform our new King, tell him it’s time to start the next stage of our plan.” Chrysalis walked to the changeling and started to rub his head. It was a sign of submission for the changeling, Chrysalis enjoyed it very much.

“With all do respect my queen, we’ve been compromised, we are no match for Celestia, we will be destroyed like the last time we did this.” He struggled to mumble these words, he had to be very careful of what he said in front of Chrysalis.

“Do not worry, everything is going as planned.”

The Empire in Flames

"Coming to bed dear?" Luna was sitting on the bed, alone.

"Yes Luna." A troubling and dark toned voice came from the balcony of the bedroom. He stood looking out upon the stars, gazing at their beauty.

Luna saw him standing alone, she could tell something was wrong. She walked onto the balcony and wrapped her arm around him as she sat next to him. He was still staring up at the stars, he didn't even turn to look at Luna, it was almost like he was blind, and all he could see was the stars shining from above.

"Sombra, whats wrong honey?" Luna looked at him with concern, he on the other hoof was still looking up, until Luna pulled his muzzle towards hers and he had no choice but to look at his concerned wife.

"Not a thing baby, not a fucking thing." Sombra said this in a calm and polite tone, even though he was being sort of rude.

"Hey, we talked about using the right language right? Right Sombra?" Luna put her other arm around him, and rested her head on his chest. The two just sat their, not wanting to be anywhere else but their.

"Please come to bed with me Sombra." Luna still had her head against Sombra's chest.

"Ok Luna, I will, but one more thing." Sombra pushed Luna away from her embrace.

"Um, what?"

"Come on get up, you're going to be late for the tax meeting sister!" Luna stared at him with utter confusion, she had no idea what he meant.

"Get up sister, hurry!"

"Wait, wait, what?" Luna rose from her bed still confused.

"Finally sister, you're awake." Celestia stood in front of her bed, looking at her.

"Sister! It is still day! How dare you wake me from my sleep!" Luna was angry, she hated it when ponies rushed in on her while she was sleeping.

"Oh sister, don't tell me you forgot, you have that tax meeting remember? You were going to be our representative, while I was going to Ponyville for Twilight's wedding?" Celestia was irritated, she had told Luna to get up for this tax meeting at the Crystal Empire.

Luna rubbed her eyes. "To be honest Celestia, i've had enough of weddings." Luna rose from her bed, she really didn't want to go to Twilight's wedding, she was just at River Lilly's and Brave Heart's wedding.

"I know, I am sick of them to, but this one is important because it's Twilight's wedding, so I most go."

"I understand, you are good friends of Twilight Sparkle." Luna opened her bathroom door and washed her face.

"Thank you again for doing this for me, I know you prefer to work at night, but I need you to do this just once." Celestia was about to leave her bedroom to give Luna some privacy, but she had to thank her one more time.

"It's fine, but just this once." Luna closed the bathroom door, and Celestia left her bedroom. What was starting to seem like a normal day would turn out to be a complete nightmare in every way possible.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The meeting concerning the taxes in Equestria was the most boring meeting Luna had ever been in. This is saying a lot because Luna had been in tons of boring meetings, but this one seemed to drag on and on without giving any hope of stopping, but eventually it did. It was still the early afternoon, Luna was exhausted, she only had about three hours of rest, and she is usually asleep at this hour.

Luna immediately went to the train station with her guards. She wanted to arrive back at the castle in Equestria as fast as possible so she could go back to bed again, but only to be woken up again for her actual regular duties. Luna was so tired she almost tripped, twice. One of her guards who was walking next to her almost just decided to carry Luna to the train. She kept bumping into things, she fell, again, and she couldn't walk in a strait line.

The previous night, Celestia had told Luna to go to bed three hours earlier than usual so she could go to this tax meeting in Celestia's place while Celestia would go to Twilight's wedding. Of course Luna went to bed not three hours earlier, but three hours later than when she usually goes to bed. The effect of this? The next day she would walk like she was drunk.

It wasn't until Cadance had stepped in front of Luna and used a magical spell to make Luna not fell so tired. It worked and Luna regained all of her senses back.

"Thank you Cadance, forgive me for being so tired, i'm usually in bed at this hour."

"It's fine Luna, I had noticed that you were kind off lost during the meeting, are your sure you're ok?"

"Yes, i'm just tired, Celestia needed me to come to this meeting in her place so she could go to Twilight Sparkle's wedding." Luna and Cadance walked side by side to the train station, with four guards at their backs.

"Oh yes, yet another royal wedding, i'm sure this one wont end up like mine, even with all the changeling attacks that have happened?" The train stopped and boarding was about to begin.

"Oh yes, Celestia and Twilight have made big security plans, no changeling is going to wreck that wedding." Boarding had not yet started, so Luna and Cadance took this time to talk, they don't usually get this much time to themselves.

"Are you going to go to the wedding once you get back?"

"No, I really don't want to, not that I have anything against Twilight and Flash Sentry, but i'm really tired, and I was just at a wedding." Boarding had started.

"I see, I see. If you don't mind me asking, are you ok? You've beeb a little depressed lately, I thought you would be jumping for joy after the destruction of King Sombra." Luna growled under her breath, she cared for how she spoke about him. Sombra may have made some bad decisions, but she still had feelings for him.

"Well I have been really stressed out lately, with Brave Heart's wedding, this tax meeting, my trip to Ponyville, Twilight's wedding, and not to mention the eleven ponies Chrysalis took as hostages, who knows were, our if there still alive." Luna was about to board the train, but before she got on, she turned to Cadance one more time.

"Oh and Cadance, i've been meaning to ask you, this is kind of a personal question so lets keep it down."

"You can ask me and trust me with any information Luna, what seems to be on your mind?"

"What do you think of foals?" This question really surprised Cadance, she expected something personal, but not that personal.

"Well......uh......i'm not sure what you mean Luna? Are you asking if i'm pregnant, which i'm not." Cadance was still shocked by Luna's sudden and unexpected question.

"Well that's not what i meant really." Luna was struggling to think of the right words to say, one small mess up, and her personal life could be doomed for ever.

"Are you pregnant Luna? Are you in a relationship, or do you want to be in one, or were you in one?" Cadance cut Luna off mid sentence.

"Well, no to all of your questions, I was just wondering if you and Shining ever though of having foals." Of course Luna lied when she said 'no to all of your questions'.

"Well you were right when you said personal question, but I will be honest with you Luna, we have been talking about it, thats all I will say about that." Cadance was a bit shy about this information, and declared to keep most of her secretive wishes with Shining to herself. "In all seriousness Luna, are you pregnant?"

"Um..No, i'm not, I was just wondering." Luna elected to take that moment to start walking on the train, cutting the conversation short.

"Well you have a safe trip back to Canterlot, now I must get going to Ponyville, I promised Twilight that I would join her at the wedding after this tax meeting." Cadance stopped just infront of the entrance to the train station, but Luna and the guards kept going.

"Have a safe trip to Ponyville too Cadance, farewell." A sound came in from the distance, steam started rushing threw the view of the train station, as other traveling ponies waited for the inbound train for Canterlot to arrive.

Luna and Cadance parted ways and Luna was off to Canterlot. Not five minutes later, Cadance and Shining Armor would board another train going to Ponyville for Twilight's wedding. Luna really didn't want to go, she was sick of weddings, and just wanted some sleep.

Twilight didn't want her wedding in Canterlot, she wanted it in Ponyville, which wasn't a bad thing, but an unusual thing. Flash Sentry obviously proved to be a worthy coltfriend to Twilight, mostly because he got the desire and the guts to ask for her hoof in marriage, most stallions wouldn't have the guts to do that.

Luna had finally made it to Canterlot, and quickly went for her bedroom, she was as tired as she has ever been. That spell Cadance had put on her had worn off, and she was back to her drunken like state. When she made it to her bedroom she simply closed the blinds, made sure no light was coming from anywhere, made sure no pony would walk in on her this time, then she simply jumped in bed and fell into the land of dreams.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________

"How is she?"

"Not good, the effects are getting worse."

"Can you hear me? Celestia can you hear me? What's your name? Were are we?" The solar guard starting asking random questions to see if Celestia had any consciousness.

"No response?" A white unicorn with a purple mane snuck up behind them.

"Sorry miss Rarity, but it seems princess Celestia has been hit with a mind sweeping spell." The solar guard turned and stared at Rarity. Standing next to Rarity was Rainbow Dash, Pinkie pie, and Fluttershy. The rest of the town was out looking for Twilight.

"Still no signs of Twilight, Flash, or the others?" Rainbow asked concerned for her friends safety.

"No, there gone, they just vanished, and we have no clue has to how, or who did this." A third Solar guard appeared. Of the missing are; Twilight, Flash Sentry, Applejack, and even spike. The wedding decorations were still up, everypony was still wearing dresses, and the cake had not yet been cut, this wedding was truly a disappointment to all.

"Oh my, what do we do!" Fluttershy was as scared as she has ever been.

"There is only one thing to do, we must contact Princess Cadance and Prince Shinning Armor, we need to worn them of the danger. If this threat is targeting the Royalty, they need to be warned." A solar guard tried his best to come up with the most logical plan.

"My sources imply that Cadance and Shining armor are on their way here."

"Then when must hurry, it will be harder to protect them in a train, in the mean time, we will take Celestia to Luna, she will know what to do. I want you all to stay inside and lock the windows and doors, only come out if there is an emergency, if this is a threat, its a big threat." Rarity, Futtleshy, Rainbow Dash and Pinkie pie noded in approval and informed all the other ponies. Just twenty minutes later, Ponyville was a ghost town.

"We need to hurry, we must find a way to counteract this spell." The Solar guards stood there next to Celestia, who was cluelessly laying on the floor, holding her head.

The solar guards rushed to Celestia's chariot and dashed for Canterlot, in the meantime a runner was sent with a letter to inform princess Cadance of the situation. Twenty seven minutes later, the arrived at Canterlot.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________-

Luna had just awoken, it was six in the afternoon and the sun was still up, she felt much better with four hours of sleep, and was ready for a hard night of work. After she was done getting ready, she went for breakfast with Celestia, but noticed that the entire castle was quiet. It was only six o'clock, but it was dead silent. Also to Luna's surprise, when she finally got to the dinning hall, celestia was not their. Luna walked further into the dinning hall. The table was empty, their were no guards, and no maids in sight.

"Oh thats right, I forgot." Luna had just remembered that Celestia was at Twilight's wedding (of course she was still unaware of the strange situation that had happened in Ponyville). She sat down were she usually sits for breakfast which was the sign to the maids Luna wanted her coffee and muffin, her usually meal to start the night. Two maids appeared out of the left doorway with a cart. On the cart was an assortment of pastries and fruit. They all looked and smelled delicious to Luna but she only picked out two for her breakfast, then the maids brought her coffee.

It wasn't until Luna took the third sip of her coffee when a huge crash came out of nowhere, it was like the Enola Gay dropped a second atomic bomb, but this time on Canterlot. Luna's coffee spilt all over her.

"Oh my! What on this good earth was that?! Here your highness, let me clean you off." One of the maids rushed to get a towel. The hot coffee was starting irritate Luna's skin, but she was more concerned about were the hell that big crash came from. Not ten seconds later there was a second, then a third, and then a fourth. Luna then rose from her table and rushed outside onto a balcony to look and see what it was. Celestia was not their, and Luna really hoped that Celestia had nothing to do with the big explosions.

Luna looked outside in shock. Just out north, in the distance, was a huge smoke cloud. It was far away, but the fire and smoke cloud was so big even a blind pony could suspect it. Every pony in Canterlot looked in terror, the had no idea what was causing those fires, or what was on fire. Luna on the other hoof, knew exactly what was on fire.

"Your highness! We must get to your safety bunker! Please, we don't have much time!" A entire squad of solar guards came from behind Luna, their duty was to protect the princess at all cost, but Luna didn't want to hide, she wanted to know more.

"Sorry but I can't, I want all of you to tell the citizens to shelter down in their homes, no pony comes out for any reason!" Luna was clear and final in her command.

"Yes, of course your highness." They Guards bowed in respect and got going.

"Oh, and bring me captain Brave Heart, I require his presence."

"Ummm, your highness, captain Heart has not returned from his honey moon."

"Oh crap, I forgot, he got married, then bring me Captain Royal shield."

"Yes your highness." The rest of the guards left. Ten minutes later, Captain Shield arrived, Luna was still standing on the balcony.

"Captain Shield, I need your help. Captain Brave Heart is on his Honey moon." Captain Shield bowed in respect, and then rose.

"Your highness, what is happening?"

"The Crystal Empire burns in flames, what is causing it, I do not know, but this is it." Luna thought of what could possibly of happened since she was last there, but the Crystal Empire was covered in smoke.

"What is it your highness?"

"The great battle of our time." Luna stared at the huge flames coming from the Crystal Empire, she knew this would end in a bloody battle.

Kind Sombra returns

"Well anything?"

"No, sorry your highness, but i'm afraid this matter is out of my league. I'm a doctor, not a wizard, and i'm afraid that Celestia has been hit by a powerful memory spell."

"I understand, but who did this, and why?" Luna turned her attention to the four solar guards who brought the completely clueless princess back to Canterlot from Ponyville.

"Um, well, we don't know for sure. Everything at the wedding seemed to be going smoothely."

"And then?.." Luna interrupted, she wanted to get to the bottom of this, now.

"Then their was a big flash, and we all went unconscious for a second. Once we were back up on our hooves, they were gone, and Celestia was passed out on one of the tables." The guards tried to explain to the best of their abilities, trying to remember exactly what happened.

"They were gone, who was gone?" BOOOOM....... The table Celestia was resting on shook under the power of the yet another crash. More and more crashes were coming from the Crystal Empire, they were getting louder and louder. Luna knew she would need to go up their, or something even worse could happen elsewhere.

"As you were saying solider?"

"Oh yes, sorry. Princess Twilight, and some of her friends are missing, and also....we have no idea where Princess Cadance or Princes Shining is either."

"So you mean to tell me that every single member of the royal family has been captured, and we have no idea who captured them?!! Are you guys stupid??!" Luna couldn't take it anymore, first the eleven pony hostages, then Celestia's mind completely erased, then Twilight, Cadance, and Shining Armor gone? Something big has happened. Not to mention the Crystal Empire in flames.

"Call in the guard, I want half of our force to stay here in Canterlot and look after Celestia, the other half will march with me to the Crystal Empire. Get a wizard or witch that can cure Celestia." Luna really took point, commanding ponies left and right.

"Yes your highness."

"And send a letter to Captain Brave Heart, tell him of the situation."

"Yes your highness." Coming from all ponies, guards, doctors, and maids alike. Luna marched here way out of the hospital wing and met with the only captain left in Canterlot, Royal shield.

"Your highness, I received your orders, are your sure we should dispatch this much of our force to the Crystal Empire? It could be wiser to stay and defined Canterlot." The two walked in a fast pace down the hallways of the castle.

"No, we need to get to the bottom of this. She already has taken so much, any more she practically controls Equestria. I have experts tending to Celestia as we speak." Luna didn't even look at the poor captain, who was overwhelmed with instructions.

"Wait your highness? She took? Who took?" Royal shield had noticed that Luna was implying she knew who was doing this, already.

"Come on captain, open your eyes! Who was attacking Equestria before? Who used the same weapon that attacked the castle at the wedding in Ponyville?

.............Queen Chrysalis."

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

"How many?"

"124 strong your highness. They are the toughest, most skilled in combat, and bravest soldiers amongst us." They walked down the rows or ranks, each stallion guard looking stronger and even more presentable than the next.

"Get ready captain, it's a long walk to the Crystal Empire. Is their still no confirmation on Cadance, or Twilight?"

"Im afraid not your highness, but we have found a cure for the memory spell on Celestia." Captain shield tried his best to make the most of the situation.

"How long will it take?"

"Five days your highness."

"Then their is no time, we most go to the Crystal Empire without her." They walked threw the streets of Canterlot. The entire city was empty. Windows were closed, doors were locked, and you could still hear the loud crashes coming from the Crystal Empire. Everypony was terrified, they had never seen a level of destruction like this before. Even the guards had their worries, but Luna didn't.

Thirty minutes after leaving Canterlot, Luna and her army of solar and night guards started to grow weary of the walk. Luna only had her regalia and crown, but the soldiers had their armor, spears, swords, supplies, medical kits, and rations. It was hard on their backs, but they were trained for this. In boot camp they would walk to Ponyville and back to Canterlot six times while carrying saddlebags filled with bricks. Not to mention they were timed, and every minute they went over their time limit, was another brick add to tomorrows saddlebag, and they did this again, again, and again.

Then they reached the snow, it was blowing hard against them. The snow on the ground was at least a foot deep. The closer and closer they got to the Crystal Empire, the more smoke came into view. Finally they had reached their destination, the Crystal Empire, and to their surprise, it was perfectly fine.

Their was not a single fire, no smoke, and no damage at all. It was perfectly fine. Everypony including Luna was beyond confused. Not thirty seconds earlier the city was on fire, and you could hear the crashes and see the smoke from miles and miles away, but once they got their, it was perfectly intact. But, their was not a single pony in sight.

Not one citizen, it was completely empty. It was quiet, no sound, nothing.

"Cadance? Shining Armor? Anypony? Search the city captain, look everywhere. If you see anything do not engage, report back to me." Luna turned towards captain Shield, and the many other stallion guards behind him.

"Understood your highness." Captain Shield stayed with the princess for her personal safety.

"It must have been an illusion spell, set by Chrysalis." Luna told the captain, they started walking towards the city center, were they would hope to still see the crystal heart in one piece.

"Yes that would make sense your highness." The two almost made it to the center until captain Shield came to realize something.

"But wait, why would Chrysalis do this?" Captain shield was confused, but his remark made Luna's eyes widened, she had suddenly realized the mistake she had just made.

"To lure us in, ITS A TRAP! WE MUST LEAVE THE CITY AND RETURN TO CANTERLOT!" Luna heaved in her royal Canterlot voice. Captain Shield immediately called the guards back in, but their was no response. Every single one of the 124 solar guards were no where to be found.

"What have I done! This is all my doing, the princesses, and now half of our royal guard? So many ponies are going to die because of me!" Luna put her hoof on her head, realizing that she should have listened to Captain Shield's suggestion of staying in Canterlot.

"Come your highness, we can still save them but we must leave the city! Your safety is more important then anything else right now!" Captain Shield tried his best to get her moving again.

"But wait, the crystal heart!" Luna suddenly realized about the crystal heart. She rushed for the city center again, with captain Shield right at her back.

They had made it to the city center, the crystal heart was not their, but replaced by a unusual red stone.

"We must go princess Luna, we must go know!" Captain Shield begged her to go, it was so important that she stayed safe.

"No captain, I can't let Chrysalis take any more pony lives, I....I...need to fix this now!" Luna was determined, at this point she thought it was all or nothing.

"Please your highness please, do not worry. We will fix it together, but only if you come with me back to Canterlot. The others their are at risk! Including what remains of Celestia!" Captain Shield knew what was at stake.

"Fine captain, but lower your tone." Luna was finally beat.

"Forgive me, now lets go!" The two ran threw the empty streets of the Crystal Empire. At this point, Chrysalis had thousands of ponies kidnapped, with no traces as to how or why. Something bigger was at plan though, Luna felt it, and so did captain Shield. Luna was still thinking of the strange stone in place of the crystal heart, but didn't worry to much about it then.

Finally they got to the city limits, in their view was the snow, miles and miles of it. They knew somewhere in that dark and cruel horizon their was home, their destination. Most ponies hated the cold. They could take a few snow days for fun here and their in the winter, but as far as long term, it gets on their nerves. Most ponies prefer the warm and comfortable season of spring. But Luna liked the snow, and the cold. Because every time she was in snow, it reminded her of Sombra, before all this, but she had to ignore that, and stay focused.

Before they could step out of the city and into the snow, Luna suddenly felt a hard smack on her left side. at first she though it was just an accidental bump from captain Shield, but when she turned to look to see what it was, she saw it. It was on her, it was red, and dripping from her side and onto the cold ground that separated the miles of snow from the empty city of Crystal Empire.

"Oh my god! Luna! Your hurt!" Captain Shield noticed Luna was bleeding, not bleeding, but blood was gushing from her side. Luna was hit from the side by a magical blast. It came out of nowhere. Captain Shield turns and draws his sword, ready to defend himself, but more importantly to protect Luna, who was bleeding heavily on her knees.

He stood their over Luna, looking all directions for anything, but their was nothing. Once he was convinced they were safe enough to move, he quickly dragged Luna who was moaning, back into the city and into the first alleyway he saw. He laid Luna down on the cold ground were she was completely hidden and out of the open. He then pulled out his medical kit, and started treating her wound. Luna was still bleeding. As more and more blood came gushing from her side wound, the more and more she moaned in pain. He wrapped her to try to stop the bleeding. He then applied pressure. The pain was getting worse and worse, especially because Royal Shield is pressing hard on Luna's deep open wound, but Royal Shield knew that it was the only was to stop the bleeding.

Royal Shield was a pegasus, and had no healing spells. Besides, the healing spells only worked on smaller less serious wounds. You would need to have all the magic in the world to completely heal Luna's wound. Finally the bleeding stopped, and Royal Shield then secured elastic bandages to Luna's side. Then he carried her to the first building he saw. It was a bakery, their were no beds, but Shield was able to find blankets and pillows on the second floor. He then laid Luna down on some pillows and blankets. He then locked the door and carefully watched out the windows, looking for anypony, one of the other guards, maybe a citizen, or more importantly, an attacker. Royal Shield knew that the safety of Luna was the most important thing right now, and he took it seriously.

Shield would need to treat Luna more. They would stay until she was well enough to walk partially. He could support her, but could not carry Luna all the way to Canterlot in the miles of snow separating the two cities. It was freezing, and the heaters were not working, so he needed to build a fire. Finding food and water wouldn't be a problem, they were in a bakery, but Luna (who was resting on blankets and pillow, half passed out in pain and agony) would eventually need better treatment than just elastic bandages. She would need pain killers, antibiotics, a probably stitches, but he couldn't do that.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________

"Well? did you get him?" Chrysalis rose from her new throne. The halls of the Crystal Empire castle were much bigger than the halls of the Changeling hive, and she liked that, because it felt like more power to her.

"Well no, I...missed, and got Luna instead." A merciful Changeling struggled to pull the words from his mouth.

"YOU DID WHAT!? Is she alive!? Were is she now?!" Chrysalis got furious, he was meant to hit the solar captain, not the princess, but they were standing next to each other.

"Yes she is alive, but badly wounded, but we do think she and the solar captain are still in the city."

"Fine, because she is still alive I wont kill you, now get out of my sight before I change my mind!" Killing Luna was never part of the plan, it was actually against it, but Captain Shield had to be killed. "The solar captain wont be able to heal Luna enough, and we need her strong for my plan to work." Chrysalis turned and looked out the window onto the empty city.

"With all do respect my queen, we can't send search parties without disturbing the illusion spell on the city." A second changeling appeared from the shadows of the halls, just as scary as the last.

"You're right 567, so we will just lure Luna to us. Sombra my dear, it's your turn! Chrysalis turned and said this in a calmer and politer tone, from the shadows, a dark stallion appeared and spoke with darkness.

"It's about time my love."

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

"Agh, ahhhh, uhhhh." Luna finally awoke, to a rather peaceful scene. Their was a fire, and on the other side of the fire from were she laid was Royal Shield, who was drinking from his water container. A thick and warm blanket was wrapped around her, and her rump was against the comfort of a cuddly pillow. As Luna rose, the pain started to hit her, and she laid back down.

"Princess! Finally! You're awake! You gave me quit the scare." Royal Shield rose and walked towards Luna.

"What happened?" Luna asked softly and quietly.

"You were hit by a magical blast, I don't know were it came from, or if it was dark magic or not. I gave you some pain pills, so the pain should not be as bad for the next couple of hours."

"Where are we captain"

"In the Crystal Empire, were just in one of the bakery's next to the city limits. We should camp here until you're healed enough to walk back to Canterlot, were we can find you a doctor.

Luna then rose from her resting spot and walked outside. Completely ignoring the pain and the fact the their were watchful Changeling eyes looking at her from the castle.

"Your highness, we shouldn't be out here! It's to dangerous!" Captain Shield rushed after her, he was astonished that she just stood up, and walked away in her condition.

Luna was not listening though, she was looking out in the distance, and in the distance stood a Pony, stallion by the looks of it, he was calling out.

"Who is that?" Captain Shield had no clue, but once Luna saw him, she immediately felt who he was. Her heart sensed the presence, her snout recognized the smell, and her ears remembered the sound of his voice.

"That my faithful captain, is King Sombra, my long lost lover."

The secret divulged

"King Sombra? I thought he was dead. Actually I know he is dead, I saw him get destroyed by the crystal heart when he attacked the Crystal Empire." Captain Shield was confused, he could kinda see the mysterious stallion's resemblance to king Sombra, but Luna knew for sure it was him, she could feel it.

"So you were their." Luna, who was standing next to him, was forced by the pain of her wound to sit on the cold ground.

"With all do respect your highness, we should go back inside, it's to dangerous out here, and you need some reset. I can clearly see you're in pain."

"I appreciate your concern Captain, but i'm afraid I must see if it is him or not." Luna was still holding her side, which was wrapped in elastic bandages, under those bandages you could see the blood.

"Maybe you're right, it could be a citizen, or one of the guards." Captain Shield was thinking of all the possibilities of the identity of the mysterious stallion. The stallion was calling, although neither Luna nor the captain could make out what he was saying, they had to get closer. He was standing far from them. Luna and Captain Shield could barely see him, his overall dark color blended him in to the night.

"We must get closer." Luna said with determination, if he was who she though he was, she wanted to go to him.

"Hold on your highness, you said, lover? What did you mean by that?"

"What do you think Captain, you're smart, figure it out." Luna chuckled faintly under her breath, which was cold and full of sorrow.

"I can't believe it, the rumors were true, you did love king Sombra. Thats why you were their with him at the Crystal Empire. He was the one, and then he betrayed you." Captain Shield didn't believe those rumors at all, he though it was a bunch of made up crap, to tell why Luna was at the Crystal Empire when he attacked. Celestia wasn't their, so why was Luna? Well, now Royal Shield is tho only creature in the world besides Celestia who knows.

"We must not look into my personal past my faithful captain, we must tend only to the future. What remains of it that is." Luna slowly got up again. The pain wasn't as bad at that moment because she had rested her muscles at little. She now had some strength to start walking again.

"Ok, we must go back inside, I must treat you more. You're still seriously injured." Captain Shield had some sever concerns for her health, Luna was starting to turn pale.

Luna on the other hoof, completely ignored him and started walking towards the mysterious dark stallion in the distance, Captain Shield followed her. As she and Shield got closer and closer to were he stood, she could almost make out what he was trying to say.

"He's calling out, I can almost make out what he is saying." Captain Shield lifted his ear higher into the air, he had taken his helmet off, so he could treat Luna's wound.

"Can you make it our Captain?"

"Let me try. Ummm, maybe, Lum to me? Run to me? No, no, he is saying; come to me, yes thats it."

"Come to me, hmmmmm, I must go to him." Luna was drawn to him, but captain Shield didn't like it, it almost screamed a trap, but he couldn't stop Luna, she was just to determined.

"Your highness, I beseech you! You must come back inside! You're hurt, and it's dangerous out here."

"No captain, I...I have to go to him, I can't abandon him like this."

"I think I understand your feelings for King Sombra, but you must set that aside and worry about your own personal safety. You are the only princess still in one piece, besides we don't even know if that is King Sombra." Captain Shield grabbed Luna's shoulder. He just about forced her to stay. Luna responded by violently shoving his hoof off of her, and continued walking. Of course Luna was still hurt, so when she walked she walked slowly, and limped, so Captain Shield easily caught up to her.

But before Royal shield could grab Luna again, to keep her from blindly walking into this obvious trap, he tripped on a crack in the stone and hit his head right on a rock. It took about five minutes for Shield to wake up, and when he did, he was completely conflicted to see Luna gone. He searched everywhere, every building to every street corner, but the one place he did not check was the one place she and the other's were at, the palace itself.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________

"Aagghh, uuuhhhh, mmmm." It was dark, really dark, Luna could barely see anything. To her vision it was some kind of small room, with a door in the front. The door had no handle, Luna tried using her magic to light up the room but she couldn't. For whatever reason no magic sparked from her horn, it was still attached in one piece, but wasn't working. She rose from where she rested, her front and back hooves were chained together, the chain was connected to the wall. With her magic she could've escaped those cuffs easily, but her magic ceased to exists.

She did have the ability to sit. She expected pain from her wound but to her surprise she barely felt any pain. It was more like a bee sting than a magic blast wound. She patted her wounded side, and saw that it had already began to form a scare. It had to be magic she thought, but what kind of magic could of healed her so efficiently and quickly? She knew it had to be dark magic, which made her shiver.

"Hello? Heeeelllllooooo? Anypony? Anything? Please?" The echo the bounced of the cell walls were loud and sort of obnoxious.

She knew no pony outside could her hear. At this point she guessed that the room she was in was protected by magic, that is the only explanation of why she can't use her magic. She looked around closer. She had limited range of movement but could walk a few steps in each direction before the chains attached to her hooves stopped her. In the darkness of the room, she tripped on a random rock just laying on the ground. Her head got a bit dizzy, but she regained full consciousness after a few moments.

When she looked back up she saw a pony standing out in front of her. He was facing away from Luna (who was still on the ground). He was just looking away, not at anything, but just away from Luna. He was tall, grey, and had a fairly muscular stature. He wore a red robe with silver armor on his legs.

"So-Sombra? Is that you?" As Luna looked even closer at the strange figure, she took a lucky guess at who it was.

"Well who else do you think it could possibly be? You know, for one of the most powerful ponies in the world, you fell right into just about every single one of our traps. Now we have all that we wanted. The princesses and the Crystal Heart in our possession. The entire city of the Crystal Empire, and Equestria's ruler in a state of never ending confusion." Sombra's tone was deep and aggressive, he turned towards Luna, revealing his face once again to her.

"H-h-how is that possible, I-I saw you get destroyed, how do you even have a physical form?" Luna was both confused and conflicted, but somewhere in her was the feeling of happiness. The stallion she loves and cared about deeply was alive and in good condition, but he didn't seem to have the loving affection he once had for Luna.

"I'm surprised you actually care, but to be honest I have no idea. Chrysalis will not tell me, she says it is a secret." The doors to the room opened, green light came from the doorway.

"Chrysalis?" Luna couldn't believe Sombra had actually been in league with Chrysalis.

"Oh Luna, your affection for your friends is your weakness, stupid princess." Chrysalis appeared from the doorway, walking in to the room. Sombra turned and walked towards her.

"Luna, you've met my new, better, more beautiful, and powerful companion Queen Chrysalis." Sombra stood next to Chrysalis. Chrysalis put her right leg around Sombra, embracing him.

"S-Sombra? I-I, what?" Luna stopped mid-sentence when Sombra's and Chrysalis' lips collided in a deep, long, and warm kiss. Luna, who was laying on the ground, was overwhelmed by the all the feelings in her. Her heart was broken, her whole body was shaking, and she could barely walk straight. Chrysalis was the first to speak after the kiss.

"Mmmmm, you have a delicious mouth my dear, can't wait for more." Chrysalis stared right into Sombra's dark and scary red eyes.

"And I can't wait to give you more my dear." Sombra nuzzled Chrysalis, Sombra made sure that Luna was watching every single minute of this, he wanted to see Luna's heart shatter, and he wanted to see her drown in her sorrow.

"Sombra dear, why don't you go now, I need some time alone with our royal guest."

"Why of course my dear Chrysalis." Sombra turned and walked out the door, he shut it behind him, but did not lock it.

"You wont get away with this Chrysalis! We will stop you! We have before, and will again!"

"Who? I have Twilight Sparkle, the pink royal bitch Cadance, and her beastly husband Shining Armor. Not to mention the crystal heart, Crystal Empire, and hundreds of other ponies in my custody. Now tell me again, will you stop me?" Chrysalis walked towards Luna who was still beaten down on the floor.

"I-I hate you." Were the only words Luna could make up.

"Aw, well i'm glade you do. You know, at first when I heard the rumors that King Sombra was dating the princess of the night, I though it as just a bunch of class A bullshit, like everything else that comes from your subjects. Now though, I have your precious stallion in my hoofs, and he is quit the strong and handsome gentlecolt." Chrysalis walked even closer to Luna, she lowered her head so it was at eye line with Luna's.

"You will not touch him!" Luna tried her best to make up that right words to say.

"I already have, especially in bed, delicious." Chrysalis licked her lips, Luna started to tear.

"N-no, you couldn't have. W-where is your egg then?"

"I can choose when I want, and when I don't want an egg, just one of the many benefits of being Queen of the Changeling hive." Chrysalis started to rube Luna's right cheek, which made Luna snarl.

"But how?"

"How what? How is Sombra not dead? Well thats because he never really died." Chrysalis backed away from Luna, who was still laying on the ground.

"What do you mean?" Luna lifted her head from the ground, tears were starting to form from her blue eyes.

"Enough of that. I have a plan, and it does involve you. Which is why your are not with the others right now. Oh and by the way your friends are being drained of their magic and being sucked for love as we speak, and with that group, it's like a Changeling all you can eat buffet."

"What was that, strange rock, in place of the crystal heart?" Luna tried to stand up but all she managed to do was to sit straight up.

"Oh nothing, just some ancient artifact. It's why Sombra can walk here in the Crystal Empire without being destroyed. It's what I use for magic, I also use it to drain magic from my victims. It has many powers, and lots of magic...........dark magic. They say it's older than Celestia, and ten times more powerful than all of your magic combined, I call it the magi stone, but it's official name is different, and I have no idea what it is, but I don't care."

"But, w-what does all this have to do with me?" Luna rested her head back down on the cold ground again.

"Oh yes I was hoping you would ask that. Do you know what else this stone can do for me?"

"What?" Luna's voice was soft, and weak, she was frightened of what Chrysalis was about to say.

"The stone can tell me if something is true or not. No lie is safe, no secret can be covered. Not even your secret Luna." Chrysalis walked back towards Luna once again.

"What secret? I have no idea what you're talking about." Luna was secretly getting nervous. Could Chrysalis know? Is that even logically possible? I mean, no pony, not even Celestia knew, right? Wrong?

"I know you're pregnant Luna, you're carrying Sombra's foal. You two shared a bed, and gifted me a powerful pupil in the future."

"Gifted you? It's MY foal Chrysalis, not your's, not Sombra's, not anymore, mine." Luna was as aggressive as ever, she wasn't going to let Chrysalis harm her future unborn foal.

"Oh I don't think so. That's the only reason why you're here. We will just have to wait for him or her, to be born. Then we will kill you, your friends, and Equestria will be mine. Then I..........will............kill...........Sombra." Chrysalis smiled, and chuckled, but only a little.

All Hope seems lost

"Why my foal? You don't need to do this with mine. There are countless of abandoned and lost foals around the world you could take with no trouble, why mine?" Luna lay their looking up at Chrysalis.

"You're smart, figure it out Luna! Or has your magical teachings about friendship and love screwed you over, because that wouldn't surprise me at all."

Luna though for a second, trying to figure out why Chrysalis wanted her foal so badly. "Nightmare moon?"

"DING DING DING, finally our contestant figured the puzzle out! Can you imagine Luna, the creation of Nightmare moon and king Sombra himself? This child could grow to be an unstoppable immortal being, and I will teach him or her in the ways of dark magic." Chrysalis turned towards the door. "Come my slave princess, I would like to show you where your precious friends are."

With her magic Chrysalis put Luna into a unbreakable green magical bubble, two changelings then entered and started pushing the portable cage with Luna in it. They passed down the long halls of the castle of the Crystal Empire, but the paintings, the stained windows, and the beautiful walls were gone, now replaced by horrific dark crystals and green lamps. An gooey green slime leaked from the ceilings, and a red light was illuminating from all the windows.

"I had my Changeling servants hunt down victims of my choosing, one of those victims includes Twilight. The hideous gross bitch of friendship. She is here, along with the pink love princess and her stupid sex stallion, and not to mention thousands of other ponies. You see the magi stone has set multiple illusions over the Crystal Empire. From a very far distance it looks as if the Crystal Empire is being bombarded by fire and flames, but when you get close to the city limits, you will see that the Empire is perfectly fine, but what the Empire really looks like is this."

Chrysalis stopped at a window, the changelings positioned Luna's bubble cage so she could get her own glimpse of the madness happening out side the castle walls.

To Luna's surprise she saw thousands of ponies, all sitting outside in groups. There were unicorns, pegasi, and earth ponies alike. She couldn't see Twilight nor Cadance, but thats because their are just so many ponies you would need super vision to spot any particular character out from the large crowds. Their was also a purple magical wall surrounding the Empire, keeping the prisoners from escaping out into the cold winter wasteland the lays beyond the magical wall. The stronger ponies went around looking for whatever food, water, and blankets the could find. The changelings had destroyed almost every building in the city, so their was no shelter. The weaker ponies just layed their on dirty blankets, loved ones were being held for comfort, as their lovers sat their helplessly, watching them suffer. It was cold, very cold, which meant some ponies sadly froze to death. Their was a place were the bodies were taken, of course they were covered, and then put in ditches. The fillies and colts stayed in groups, while the older mares and stallions watched over. Their were also guards, some of them were the ones that went with Luna and Captain Shield, the others were native to the Crystal Empire. The guards used their armor to keep the mares and foals warm, and safe, but they were stripped of their weapons.

“Every day we pull a pony out from the crowd to be stripped of their love. Usually that means an intense beating, and usually they don’t come out. So the longer it takes for your foal to come to me, the more ponies will die.” Chrysalis turned and walked towards Luna, she was laying in the bubble with her head raised from the ground, she didn’t speak a word.

“Not like it matters though, once I get that foal, they will all die, and you will watch, then you will die, along with your precious Sombra.” Chrysalis rolled her eyes as she turned and started walking. The changelings behind started pushing the bubble right behind Chrysalis.

“Y....you can’t win, you won’t.” Those were the only words Luna could say, she was beat and overwhelmed.

“Well since you obviously don’t think I’ve won, why don’t we spend the rest of the afternoon torturing you. You know that’s one other thing the stone gives me, a very painful torture spell, and you’re the first test.” Chrysalis licked her lips.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

“Is that all we have left?”

“I’m afraid so Twiley.” Flash placed the last basket of food with the others, 12 baskets remained, enough food to last them all about four days.

“We won’t last a week in this weather, I’m freezing!” Cadance snuggled closer to Shining armor, who was trying to give some of his body warmth to his freezing wife.

Some solar guards appeared behind Twilight and Flash. “Well anything sergeant?”

“No princess Twilight Sparkle, their is no way out or in, we are stuck in this magical wall.” The solar guards bowed in respect, they had no armor, nor weapons, but you could tell they were guards by how muscular they were.

“All quiet from the foal watch. A white unicorn with a violet mane appeared, it was Lilly Tulip, and Brave Heart was right behind her.

“Good, let’s quiet down for the night, we need to save our energy so our food can last longer.” Shining said as he was holding Cadance close to his body, Cadance as shivering furiously, she was experiencing moderate symptoms of hyperthermia. Every unicorn had a magic muzzle, which prevented them from using magic. The muzzles were connected via a spell that only Chrysalis knew. All Pegasi had Magic straps on their wings, so they couldn’t fly. The only thing they could do was sit, and wait for help.

An hour later the time was around eight o’clock. Most ponies were asleep. They were sleeping in tents made by cloth found in the rubble of the destroyed cities. Some guards were walking about, making sure the sick mares and foals were treated and ok.

Lilly Tulip entered the tent she and Brave Heart were staying in. It was small, barely had enough room for the both of them, but they were married, so they enjoyed being close. Lilly laid down next to Brave who was already falling asleep, but Lilly didn’t want to sleep just yet. The two were supposed to be on their honey moon but were obviously cut short from their vacation, and they had been spending so much time helping, they had no time with each other.

Lilly rested her head on Brave’s large muscular chest. His fur was warm and so attractive to the touch, mostly because it was really cold outside. Brave lifted his head, he started stroking Lilly’s back with his hoof, Lilly purred softly under his gentle touch. In the battlefield, Brave was a strong warrior. He would certainly kill somepony to protect the ones he loved, but he certainly had a gentle touch, at least to Lilly.

“We never get alone time.” Lilly pressed her head harder onto Brave’s large chest.

“Lilly, I’m so sorry this happened, I’m so sorry this destroyed our honeymoon. If we survive this, I will make this up to you.” Brave lifted Lilly’s head up to eye contact, then Brave leaned in for a gentle soft kiss.

“It’s not your fault Brave, you don’t need to be sorry for something you didn’t do.”

“The only princess left is Luna, she is the only one who could still save us from this Lilly, I’m afraid to say it, but I think this is the end.” Brave then put his head on Lilly’s chest, Lilly’s then started stroking his mane.

“Their is always hope Brave, there is a pony stil, out there who could help, I promise.” Lilly the kissed Brave.

“Do you think anypony will hear us, I mean this isn't exactly the best place for sex.” Brave broke the kiss, knowing what was coming.

“Not if your quiet, just be gentle, it’s been a long time since I got good with you in bed.”

“Let’s get to it then.” Brave cut the candle in the tent.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

“AAAAAHHHHH...............UUUUGGGGHHHH...............EEEEEHHHHHH!!!!!!!! Please, please, stop it Chrysalis please I beg of you! It hurts so bad! AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!” Luna screamed in extreme agony on the ground. For the first time in her immortal life, pain made her cry, like a child crying after he fell of his bike. Chrysalis was tourturing Luna with spells the magi stone gave her. It was power Luna could not even believe in, magic five times the strength of hers.

“How long has it been scout 725?” Chrysalis turned to the changeling who walked into Luna’s cell. Luna was once again chained to the floor, she was laying on the ground gasping for air. She was sweating, exhausted, and beaten to a pulp.

“It’s been an hour my queen.”

“Very good, Well it looks like I’m done with you today, now time for my next victim outside.” Chrysalis turned and exited the cell, her changeling guards followed. Sombra was standing across the hallway. He stood their for about five seconds and walked into the cell after Chrysalis and the others were gone.

“S-Sombra, I don’t understand? I though, I...I thought?.........”

“What, that I loved you? We’ll guess I could say you’re right. I did love you, but you betrayed me.” Sombra walked closer to Luna. Luna tried her best to lift her head, but she was just to weak.

“What? How did I betray you? You went behind my back and attacked the Crystal Empire. You took advantage of me! I loved you! I trusted you! YOU BETRAYED ME! I HATE YOU! You pathetic asshole.” Luna got a little carried away. She silenced herself and calmed down.

“Then I guess I deserve to die then.” Sombra lowered his head to the ground.

“What, what do you mean?” Luna lifted her head, getting the strength to.

“You’re pregnant, with my foal. Chrysalis wants the foal, then she will kill me, and I will be forgotten. The legend of the immortal alicorns will be forgotten. Chrysalis will rule the world in darkness and in chaos. We will all die, and everypony still alive then will forget we even existed.” Sombra turned away from Luna, Luna then could feel his pain, his emotional pain inside.

“Sombra? I’m, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean what I said, but we could look past that. We can work together and stop Chrysalis, The we can be together for eternity. We can raise this foal together.” Luna got up, she was restricted in mobility because of the chains but could stand.

“No Luna, it’s all done for us, for me..........goodbye my love.”

“Sombra no wait! That stone what is it? Did it bring you back to life? How can we destroy it. Sombra you must tell me, we can save thousands of innocent lives!”

“Uhhhh, all I know is that the stone is thousands of years old, it has powerful spells and magic that Chrysalis can use to do anything. You won’t be able to stop her in a one on one fight, the only way is to destroy the stone.” Sombra turned back around towards Luna.

“Yes but how are you still alive?” Luna layed back down, the exhaustion was starting to hit her again.

“The stone brought me back, and is keeping me alive.” Sombra lowered his head down again and turned around. He walked out of the cell and closed the door, leaving Luna with his words.

“Wait, Does that means if I destroy the stone, you will be destroyed? With no way of keeping you alive? SOMBRA! Will I kill you by destroying the stone? You must tell me! Please!" Sombra could hear her behind the door, but he did nothing, for he wanted death.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________

“Look Twiley! Chrysalis is coming!” Flash pointed towards a magical portal that appeared just in front of the castle.

“Oh no, she must be coming for another pony! We must run!” Spike who was standing beside Twilight ran the opposite direction, but everypony else stood their ground and faced Chrysalis. She walked threw the portal.

“Who to choose this time, hmmmmmm, so many fresh victims, so much juicy love to suck up. Decisions, decisions, decisions. Ah, you.” Chrysalis pointed her hoof, directly in the direction of Brave Heart, who was holding his wife by the fire.

"What? No, you can't take Brave Heart. As a matter of fact, I will not let you take anypony else Chrysalis!" Lilly stepped in front of Chrysalis, she wasn't just going to let her take her husband away to a painful and slow death.

"Oh my guards, this pony is interrupting our party, let us get ride of this interruption." Chrysalis raised her hoof, and six Changeling guards stormed out of the portal behind Chrysalis. One of them hit Lilly in the muzzle. Lilly was not a fighter, nor was she that muscular, so she didn't stand a chance. Brave was to weak and had no weapons, one of the Changelings hit him hard in the chest. Another hit him in the muzzle, a third hit in the face, then on the nose, then on the right ear, then stomach. They beat him until he could barely walk. Blood was coming from his ear, noise, and eyes. His left front leg was broke, and he had a black eye. Lilly watched in horror as they beat his husband to a pulp.

"NO, NO, NO STOP IT PLEASE STOP IT." Lilly tried to stop them from taking him but she was stopped by Twilight and Cadance.

"It's ok Lilly, he will find a way out, we all will." Cadance and Twilight both tried their best to calm her down, and let her realize that their was virtually nothing they could possible do. Chrysalis had taken eleven ponies already, Brave was her twelfth, and she was just getting started. The changelings stopped the beating then picked Brave up. Two changeling guards dragged Brave's body to the portal to be drained of his love. In Brave's pain, he tried his best to signal his wife.

"Li--efghhh-illy, I love---uhhh--y-uh-ou." That was all he could say. He was dragged threw the portal, Chrysalis then entered the portal and closed it behind her. Lilly was in tears.

Author's Note

Sorry it took so long to get this chapter done, it shouldn't take this long next time.

-----------------------:)

Help finally arrives

"Sombra my dear, please come to me." Chrysalis sat on her throne, Sombra was at the bottom of the stairs. He got up and started walking towards Chrysalis. The throne room was the Crystal Empire throne room, except redesigned to Chrysalis' liking. Changeling guards stood at the door, a pair stood in front of the entrance to the throne room, and a pair stood at the bottom of Chrysalis' throne. Sombra got within eye contact to Chrysalis. He would admit, Luna's eyes were a lot more beautiful and attractive than Chrysalis' eyes.

"Yes my dear Chrysalis." Sombra voice was low toned and sort of depressing.

"Oh my Sombra, you have helped me a ton. I trusted you with this power, and in return you brought me the princesses."

"What is your point already." Sombra was getting a little impatient.

"Patients my love." Chrysalis put her right front hoof against Sombra's muzzle, her hoof was full of holes.

"You have what you wanted. You have Luna alive in your custody, you have two other alicorn princesses in you custody. Not to mention the thousands of others in your control, and the Crystal Empire. Wouldn't you say it's time to honor our agreement." Sombra was referring to the agreement she made with Chrysalis, which was the only reason he decided to join her. He didn't love her, nor did he really want to, but he knew if Chrysalis wanted something, she would get it. Even if what she wanted was a kiss from her king.

"Yes, we had our little agreement. If you help me get all the princesses into my custody, I would grant you the Crystal Empire, and the Crystal heart, and I wouldn't use the stone to find out why you want the heart, but i can't help but realize that we are one princess short!" Chrysalis rose from her throne in glory.

"Chrysalis my dear, Celestia was hit with a powerful memory spell no pony has a cure for she will remain clueless forever."

"Well when you put it that way, still, I would feel better if I had her here with the others." Chrysalis turned and walked towards the nearest window, overlooking the ponies congregating for warmth outside. "Sombra, be straight with me, what have you told Luna?"

"What do you mean?" Sombra started to get nervous, he knew if Chrysalis suspected any treachery, she would kill him immediately with the stone.

"I know you two were lovers, I mean, the only reason Luna is still alive is because I want her child, but I also could use the stones magic to make her labor happen within the next day." Chysalis peeked her eyes towards Sombra, she was still gazing out the window.

"I don't know where you're going with this?" Sombra took a step back.

"Oh you will my love." Chrysalis turned her head.

"What do you want, whatever it is, I will grant you you're every wish Chrysalis."

"I want Luna here, along with a doctor or two."
______________________________________________________________________________________________________

"Ugh, i'm starving." Flash squeezed his stomach, which was growling.

"Eh, you and me both." Shining Armor was sitting across the fire with him. Shining was filthy. I mean, they all were filthy, but with Shining Armor it was worse because of his white color. Twilight and Cadance were still trying to get Lilly Tulip to stop crying. It has been two days since Chrysalis took Brave Heart.

As the days get longer and longer, the food supply gets lower and lower. The weaker and sick ponies died within a day. Of the thousands that were in-prisoned, now only 400 remain. Most died because Chrysalis would walk outside almost every hour and grab a dozen ponies to be drained of their love and killed. Who knows what happened to Brave Heart.

"This can't be all we have left." Spike unloaded the last basket.

"Thats all i'm afraid." A Crystal unicorn pony mare helped Spike unload what was left, which was only seven baskets of bread, potatoes, vegetables, and fruits.

"Uh, I think we finally got her to calm down a little." Twilight sat down next to Flash, who was her fiancé.

"Well it's about time then." Flash kissed her forehead, but all Twilight could do was frown.

"Well, then maybe next time you can do it professor!" Twilight was a little annoyed by her statement.

"Alright, my bad." Flash surrendered, he knew that even a starving Twilight Sparkle could take him down in a instant.

"We wont last another week with the amount of food we have left Twily." Spike walked up next to Twilight, they were all sitting around a fire within the streets of what remained of the Crystal Empire. For twenty minutes they would sit in quiet and in peace, until a Changeling guard appeared from a portal.

"Were is princess Cadance! Chrysalis demands to know now!" He started looking around for her. There were still hundreds of ponies all around him, so it would be damn near impossible to spot her out.

"Who is asking?" Cadance appeared out of a group of ponies.

"You will come with me so Chrysalis can extract your magic, and then you will be executed tomorrow in the courtyard."

"I beg you pardon? I absolutely will not just give my magic away! I would rather die!" Cadance stomped her hooves. She was weak, and could barely walk. Cadance was not known to be a fighter, but she still had powerful magic, but her magic muzzle prevented from that happening. She stood no chance against the eight changeling guards demanding her come with them.

"We would rather take you dead you pink pussy!" The changelings raised their spears, but before they could strike her, a huge flash coming from the edge of the magic shield blinded all of them.

Everypony fell to the ground in shock. Even the changelings were surprised when the unexpected blast came from nowhere. From the light stood four figures. Three of them looked like ponies, while the forth was some sort of dragon type creature. As ponies started regaining their senses, the figures came to view.

"Its Celestia! We are saved!" Said a pony.

"It's the god of chaos himself!" Said another. It was Celestia, with Discord standing right next to her. Along with them was Captain Royal Shield, and sergeant Nightcore. Standing behind them was one hundred elite royal guards.

"Fear not my subjects, for you will suffer no more." Celestia was the first to enter the Empire. Using her magic she destroyed the shield. Celestia was ironically the only pony who knew about the stones magic, and she knew it's weaknesses.

"Oh my dear Celestia, you're right back in the mayhem aren't you?" Discord rested his head onto Celestia's back, Celestia did not appreciate that.

"Discord for heavens sake stop and help us our I will fight you myself!" Celestia had enough of Chrysalis' and Sombra's evil plans.

"RANKS GET READY!!!!" Captain Shield turned towards the rows of armored elite stallions, blood thirsty and battle ready.

"INTO THE FILITH, NO TURNING BACK, NO SURRENDER, BLOOD TO BE TAKEN, BLOOD TO BE GIVEN!" Yelled hundreds of dark and menacing voices of angry stallions in armor.

"Contact Chrysalis immediately! We are under attack!" The changeling commander turned to his servants.

"Right away sir!" Two changelings turned and raced toward a portal and walked into it.

"There is going to be a fit here, we need to leave now!" Shining Armor realized that they were in the worst possible position. They were in between a horde of changelings, and a hundred of angry elite stallions and a enraged immortal alicorn princess, they had to move.

"Everypony quick, hurry! Run to the ruble! Hide in the ruble!" The ruble form the destroyed Crystal Empire homes was the only cover they had. Then rows of golden armored stallions armed with spears and swords crept over the hill entering the Crystal Empire. The exhausted prisoners took cover under ruble while the battle would go on. The magic shield was destroyed by Celestia's magic, for she was the only pony who knew the magi stones magic. Also the illusions were immediately destroyed, and now the Crystal Empire had only one true appearance

Under the palace where the magi stone rested crept a magic portal, but this one was very different, it was huge! It must have been thirty feet wide, and ten feet tall, and from the portal came out an army of Changeling soldiers, willing to fight to the death to defend the stone. Celestia knew that if she was going to return the Crystal Empire to normal, she needed to find the Crystal heart.

"Discord remember! You are to find the Crystal Heart! Captain Shield, you will find the princesses and ensure their safety!"

"Got it your highness!" Captain Shield saluted in respect and was off.

"And what about you my dear Celestia?" Discord asked before he left.

"I will lead the charge, now go before you piss me off more Discord!" Celestia stomped her hoof, causing some dust off of the cold ground to levitate. Then it begun. Hundreds and hundreds of Changelings charged while on the other side one-hundred stallions including Celestia charged their direction. It was mayhem in the Crystal Empire. The two armies finally collided, the streets of the Crystal Empire were full of blood and violence. At first, the stallions held their ground, they were the better fighters, but then the exhaustion of fighting never ending hordes of changelings started to set in. Even though the royal army was getting tired, they still were making progress, but the changelings just kept coming. Bodies of stallions and changelings hit the ground, some had missing limbs, some were bleeding so bad it would seem that they were painted red. Unicorns drove their horns deep into the sides of Changelings. Earth ponies used their overpowering strength to knock changelings down, and stab them with their spears, and pegasi were flying, launching spears and arrows from above.

"Princess Twilight?! Is that you?!" Captain Shield came to yet another pile of ruble with survivors inside.

"Yes it's me! Who are you!?" Twilight got up from the dark hole.

"I am Captain Royal Shield, I have been sent by Celestia to ensure your safety. You are all to remain out of sight until the battle is over."

"But we want to fight?!" Twilight wanted to fight, but Celestia was wise to instruct her not to. She and the other survivors were way to weak, they would be cut down like grass upon a lawnmower.

"Sorry, but it's princess Celestia's orders. Where is princess Cadance?!"

"I am here Captain, with Twilight! I got the memo, we will stay." Cadance put a hoof on Twilight's shoulder.

"Very well, has anypony seen Princess Luna? Is she here?"

"Princess Luna? I have no idea were she is?" Twilight put her hoof against her muzzle, wondering were in the world the princess of the night was.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

"Ugh, i'm so tired, but this stupid cell floor is so uncomfortable." Luna tried her best to get some sleep, she was very weak, and hungry, which didn't help. She had finally managed to close her eyes, when suddenly she heard a loud crash coming form outside. "Oh great, another mysterious crashing sound, I wonder whats happening this time."

"Something beyond our power." The cell door opened, and out came Sombra, and two other changeling guards.

"Sombra? Whats going on?" Luna lifted her head and got up.

"Celestia is here, their is a fight outside, but Chrysalis wants you now. You will follow me or your legs will be snapped and we will drag your broken body to her." Sombra's voice seemed more aggressive than the last time they talked.

"What does she want this time? Is this more torture? Or is this something else?"

"Congratulations, you will be giving birth tonight, then you will be tortured, and you will die a death so excruciating death and pain itself will flee from your rotting corpse."

"But Sombra? You told me that....."

"Yes." He cut her off mid sentence. "The dark King of Equestria will cease to exist."

The spark of redemption

"What an appropriate way to die. My baby will be literally taken from my body by powerful magic and then I will die a death so excruciating that death and pain itself will flee my rotting corpse." Luna laid down in a portable green bubble cage, she wore a magic muzzle and straps over her wings.

"Yep that seems about right to me." Sombra walked in-front of Luna, while two changeling guards followed behind pushing the bubble cage.

"And you're just going to let Chrysalis kill you, and take everything she wants?"

"Chrysalis wants to rule the world, all I wanted was redemption, and power, thats the only reason I decided to help in the first place. I wanted the Crystal Empire and the Crystal Heart to myself." Sombra thought it would be ok if he explained everything to Luna before they were both killed, it's not like would matter at this point.

"Why did she save you? What did she want from you? Why do you want the Crystal Heart? How did she save you?" Sombra lowered his head, he was bombarded by Luna's questions.

"Uuhhhhh, look Luna, to be honest I have no idea how Chrysalis saved me, but I do know what she wanted from me." Sombra then lifted his head and continued walking. The throne room was only about a thirty second walk away, it would be the place Chrysalis would use the stone to make Luna give birth, torture her, kill her, and then kill Sombra.

"Why would you let Chrysalis just kill you? We have a chance at a better future, a path with me could be your redemption Sombra. Bad or not, your life is precious, especially to me." This made Sombra stop walking, he thought of the best words he could say to Luna. In Sombra's heart he felt like giving up, just let Chrysalis kill me, he thought, but strangely enough, something in his heart was trying to tell him to turn around, but would he listen.

Sombra peeked over his shoulder and looked at Luna for a split moment, Luna got confident he would turn eventually. Sombra then looked forward and continued walking. The sound of the battle going on outside was loud, very very loud. It was almost like one-hundred tornados hit what remains of the Crystal Empire all at once.

"We're here." Sombra stopped at the door.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________

The battle outside was turning in favor of Celestia and her army, but more and more changelings kept on coming. The fugitives had been evacuated outside of the city, along with Cadance, Twilight, Shining Amor and the other ponies remaining. Celestia knew Chrysalis still had Luna, so she couldn't back down. She also had the problem of Chrysalis using the stone against her army, but at the moment Chrysalis had different intentions with the stone.

"Captain!" Celestia approached Royal Shield.

"Yes your highness!" He saluted in respect.

"You must hold off the rest of the changelings, i'm going to find Luna and retrieve the stone."

"But your highness, there are too many, we need you here!" Captain Shield tried to explain to Celestia that the army wouldn't last much longer without her.

"It doesn't matter, once I have the stone, I will use it against Chrysalis and the army." Celestia said no more and dashed for the portal.

"We should be helping." Twilight and Cadance stood next to each other just outside the city. Blankets were given to them to help them shield with the freezing cold snow. A train was on the way, that would take them back to Canterlot, out of danger. Although they were all alive, they were so weak they could hardly stand, even Cadance and Shining Armor thought it was a bad idea to go back.

"Twilight, we should stay here and wait for the train to come. The station is just over there, we must hurry or the changelings could destroy the tracks." Cadance explained to Twilight that they were just too weak to fight.

"Ok, fine. Wait? Where is Lilly? I haven't seen her in a while." Twilight looked around for the one pony who seemed to always be right beside her.

"Um, I don't know? Lilly!? Lilly Tulip!? Everypony look for Lilly Tulip." Cadance got up and started to look around, as did Twilight. Little did they know, Lilly was still in the city.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________

"Well well well, look at what we have here! Sombra my dear, thank you very much." Chrysalis sat on her throne, she got up as Sombra, and Luna entered her throne room. Luna was still in her portable cage, trying to think of some way to keep Sombra from creating this horrible fate, for both of them. "Guard 786, got fetch my weapon, it's time to give birth Luna, are you happy, at least?"

"Happy? That you're taking my child and killing me! You're out of time, Celestia will be here any minute!" Luna yelled threw her cage, her voice wasn't as loud in it.

"Oh Luna, so stupid, I could just use the stone against her, knowing it has more powerful magic than her." It only took about a minute for the changeling guard to get the stone. It was orange, illuminating a red light. It was resting on a cushion that the changeling guard was carrying. Sombra stood next to Chrysalis' throne, just waiting to see how this intense moment would work out.

"Sombra my dear, would you be a gentlecolt and get our pregnant mare ready?" Sombra nodded in approval and walked towards the cage.

"Chrysalis i'm not due for at least another 30 weeks!"

"It doesn't matter Luna my dear, I could just use the stones magic to make you due in five minutes." Chrysalis' smile widened. Sombra destroyed the cage using his magic. Two changelings chained Luna's hoofs, she fell to the floor, she was very weak. Chrysalis picked up the stone from the cushion the changeling was holding, the stone only obeyed to Chrysalis' commands, because she was the keeper of it. For another pony to have complete control over the stone, they would need to disarm Chrysalis and then take the stone, which was exactly what Celestia was going to do. She was still racing towards the palace, but would she be quick enough? Only time would tell.

"Sombra, you're going to just let this happen? This is your foal to! You must protect it as I am doing!" Luna turned her head towards Sombra, who was standing next to Chrysalis. Chrysalis now had the stone in her hoof, she was about to use it for her final biding.

"You think he cares? He doesn't care! He never cared! He choosed me, and because of that he will become more powerful than you or Celestia have ever been, and we will rule Equestria together, and kill anypony who gets in our way!"

"Thats not what you told me." Luna's hooves were still chained, but she could walk a little.

"What I told you doesn't matter you princess cunt!" Chrysalis was getting angry, meanwhile Sombra was just standing there waiting for his and Luna's demise. "It matters not though, I think our little conversation ends here. So tell me Luna, what shall I call MY new baby foal?"

"Maybe Chrysalis is a bitch!" Luna started to fight back in anyway she could, unfortunately the only weapon she had was here words. Chrysalis snarled, but didn't say anything. Instead she raised the stone in the air with her magic. Chrysalis now had magic of a hundred immortal alicorns running threw her veins. Luna saw that she was running out of time, and realized that Celestia would not make it, but before Luna gave up hope, she turned to her only hope of escaping this horrible fate. Sombra, who was still just watching.

"Sombra, please listen to me! I know whats it's like to be like this, I know the pain dark magic can do to yourself, I was imprisoned for one-thousand years because of it! I know you want to give up! I know the feeling of the world rejecting you, but you don't need to give up because the world doesn't believe in you, because I believe in you! Don't do this, not for Equestria, but for me! For our future! I love you!" Chrysalis turned towards Sombra, he was looking down, but she could see a tear starting to run down the left side of his face.

"Sombra no! Don't let these false teachings destroy you! You have everything now! And with this power you could have more!" Chrysalis was starting to see his betrayal, she was planing to kill him after getting Luna's foal, but she didn't know he knew that.

"No, I have nothing, but I had everything, without you." Sombra lifted his head, rejecting Chrysalis' offer. Chrysalis frowned and blasted a beam of magic from the stone at Sombra. He quickly moved away from the powerful blast that would off killed him. He then quickly fired the spell to unlock the magic muzzles at Luna's horn, her magic muzzle then came off and she immediately blasted the cuff off of her hooves. Luna then turned towards the four changeling guards in the room and with on spell, they were discarded. Chrysalis was then surrounded by Luna and Sombra, who were both about to blast spells at her with no mercy, Chrysalis growled once more.

"Fine, if I can't have your baby, IT WILL DIE WITH YOU." Chrysalis raised the stone with her magic and blasted a orange magic beam at Luna. Luna reacted by conjuring a magic wall to protect her, little did she know, it would prove to be useless against the power of the stone.

"Luna NO, IT WONT STOP IT." Sombra knew Luna's spell wouldn't stop the blast headed right for her, it would simply blast threw the magic wall and directly hit Luna in the chest, but before the magical blast hit Luna, Sombra jumped in front of it. The magical blast from the stone hit Sombra hard on the side of his muscular chest. Sombra then fired a disarming spell directly at Chrysalis. Chrysalis was not prepared and was hit head on by the spell. Chrysalis fell to the floor, the stone landed behind her. Chrysalis could now not use the stone, Sombra had disarmed her using it, the stone now would only accept Sombra, who fell to the ground.

Luna didn't realize that Sombra was hit by the spell, from the angle she was at it looked like it hit her magic wall and bounced back at Chrysalis, so Luna ran past Sombra heading for Chrysalis.

"Make a move, I break your face!" Chrysalis was laying on the ground, she was still in shock from the disarming spell Sombra blasted at her. Luna stepped on her chest so she couldn't get up.

"Yo-yo-yo-you bet-better tur-turn around." Luna raised her eyebrow in confusion, at first she didn't know what she was talking about, but it only took at second for her to find out. Luna turned her head at Sombra, who was holding his chest. He was laying on the ground, clearly in pain, Luna quickly ran towards him.

"Holy shit Sombra what happened?" Luna put her hoof on his head and the other on his chest, where his hoofs still were. Surprisingly their was no blood, there was a burn mark on his chest, but no blood. "You're ok, there is no blood, it must have been a bad spell." Luna calmed down, she thought the spell was just a bad spell, and didn't work.

"No Luna." Sombra said those two words before his body started turning to ash. Starting with his legs, then his head and body. Not three seconds later, Sombra turned to ashe. The ashes starting flying away, flying out the open window into the atmosphere, disappearing. Luna had a ash stuck to her hoof, thats all what was left, she then turned her head to Chrysalis.

"What did you do, WHAT DID YOU DO!" Chrysalis smiled.

"I killed him my dear." Chryslis finally got the strength to get up, the stone was still sitting behind her. Then suddenly the doors to the large room slammed to the ground, and Celestia steamed rolled threw the hall and blasted a spell at chrysalis. Chrysalis fell right back to the ground as blood started dripping from her chest.

"Celestia!"

"Luna! Thank god you're still alive! Come on, the battle outside is almost won! We must use the stone against Chrysalis." Celestia hugged Luna for a split second.

"No Celestia we can't."

"Why not?"

"Sombra disarmed Chrysalis with the stone, it only obeys to him now."

"Well, where is Sombra? Wait, is he here?"

"Celestia, he's gone." Luna teared up.

The aftermath

"I'm sorry Lilly, I guess, it just wasn't meant to be."

"What 'wasn't meant to be?!' The fact that YOU stopped me from saving MY husband?!" Lilly sat on a chair by the table in her little house in Canterlot, it was where she and Brave Heart lived.

"Lilly you could barely walk you were so weak, even if you did find him, what could you have done then? And it was Celestia who stopped you, not me." Twilight sat next to her with her hoof on Lilly's shoulder.

"I guess you're right, I still don't believe he is dead though, I will not." Lilly was drinking hard liquor, Vodka to be specific. She had only had that much alcohol twice in her life. One was on her first and last high school party at the popular mare's giant Canterlot house. She got so drunk she peed on the host's coltfriend. The second time was her wedding, and we can say she didn't pee on anypony, but she did have some abnormally dirty thoughts about Brave Heart throughout the night, well we just wont go there right now.

"Oh Lilly, I think I understand." Twilight started to stroke her mane,

"How could you even remotely understand Twilight. You still have your husband, your big strong, stallion." Lilly's head knocked on the table, she started crying.

"You know Lilly, you're absolutely correct. Lilly I want to tell you something. You morning Brave Heart reminds me of this. This is something I don't want you telling every teenage stallion and mare you come across, this is pretty dark and private stuff." This made Lilly's head perk up a little.

"Ok, what?"

"It's about princess Luna, and King Sombra, and their soon to become foal prince or princess.

Lilly's eyes widened.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________

"Chrysalis, we need you to cooperate. We are all exhausted, and want to rest, but can't until you tell us want we want to know." Celestia and three royal guards stood in a brick cell. Chrysalis was in chains on a concrete chair within the cell. It was dark, the cell was underneath the Canterlot castle. The only light came form the torches on the walls.

"Why should I tell you anything?! You said it yourself you royal brat! You already know everything about the stone! SO LEAVE ME ALONE!" Chrysalis tried to slam Celestia, but was stopped by her chains.

"You're right, I already know everything we need to know about the stone. I want to know how you got it, and where you got it, and if something gave it to you." Chrysalis and Celestia just eyed each other down for a minute, before Celestia spoke again. "It is useless and a waste of valuable energy for you to resist, just tell us, and torture wont be necessary." They both eyed each other for another minute, Chrysalis then sighed in defeat.

"Fine, if it makes you leave me alone."

"It will, I promise."

"It was after the wedding, Cadence's and Shining Amor's wedding. All my changelings were ether dead or lost somewhere in Equestria. I had nothing, I was nothing, so I just ran. I ran and ran until the Everfree forest was in my way, so I entered the forest. For two weeks I survived with nothing but what the forest could supply me with. Until he came to me." Chrysalis looked to the dirty floor for a moment.

"He came? Who came?"

"Give me a second and I will explain. It was a pony, an earth pony by the looks of it, he had a dark voice so I figured it was a stallion, but he was cloaked so I couldn't know for sure."

"Thats it?" Celestia was obviously getting a little inpatient.

"Hold on damnit, there is more. He asked me one thing. 'If their was one thing in the world you could take for free, what would it be.' I said everything. Then he pulled out the stone, from this bag he was carrying, he said it would grant me everything. He gave it to me and ran of, I never saw him again. Then I approached Sombra, I gave him life, and magic. He agreed to help me, but wanted in return the Crystal Empire to himself, and the Crystal Heart."

"Thats it? Do you know anything about this 'cloaked stallion'?" Celestia thought for a moment.

"I told you everything I know, NOW LEAVE...........please?"

"Very well, guards let us got back up, I have some urgent news for princess Luna."

"Wait, their is one more thing you should know." Celestia turned back around just before she was about to leave.

"What? I though you told me everything you knew?"

"No, there was one more thing Sombra wanted from me, he asked for one pony's soul he could have from the stone. I had no idea what he meant, but I didn't care."

"Because you were going to double cross him, and kill him." Celestia was now putting all the pieces together, but there were still pieces missing.

"Exactly, I will say no more." Chrysalis had now revealed everything she knew, or did she.

"Well then, I guess this 'cloaked stallion' didn't tell you everything about the stone did he? Because if he did, you would know that you haven't killed anypony using the stone."

"What on earth do you mean?" Chrysalis had no idea what Celestia was talking about. She killed ponies but they aren't really dead? She had no idea.

"Now I will leave. We are still deciding on your punishment Chrysalis, and I can't promise you mercy, mercy where there is none." Celestia and her guards left the cell and locked it. There was a long hallway of dungeon cells in front of them, the exit was on the other side of the hallway. It was dark and cold, water dripped from the ceiling, the only light came from the fires of the torches. Guards were standing by the exit, blocking anypony who dared to enter. Chrysalis was the only pony in the dungeon. Common criminals usually just go to Canterlot jail, which was way more clean and was better maintained. Chrysalis was completely alone.

It took about five minutes for Celestia to make it all the way back up to the castle. It was quiet, very very quiet. Chrysalis had been defeated, but at what cost? Their were no parties, ponies weren't celebrating. Soliders weren't drinking at the bars, there were no feasts, nor songs those dark nights. The city was packed. Celestia had ordered the Crystal Empire to empty until repairs could be made. Cadance and Shining Amor were still at the Crystal Empire, overseeing the rebuilding. The hospital wing was completely full. Full of wounded soldiers and sick or starving ponies who were still weak from Chrysalis' rage, but their was one pony at the hospital wing who was not sick, nor was hurt. She was there for a very special reason. It was done in secret, for she was still no comfortable telling the world she was pregnant.

Luna rested on a hospital bed in a private room. It was a fairly large room, not as large as her private royal bedroom, but large enough for Luna to be satisfied. Luna has regained most of her strength from the Crystal Empire attack. Her blast wound was properly treated, and she was pleased to hear from the doctor that her foal she was carrying had not been effected at all, and is predicted to be a healthy, happy little prince or princess one day. Luna was looking at a book, resting on the bed, in peace.

"Well it looks like you survived." Celestia walked in the hospital room, two guards were at her back.

"Couldn't have done it without you sister." Luna smiled.

"Leave us please." Celestia ordered her guards to wait outside, giving the two immortal alicorn sisters some privacy. "I'm sorry this had to happen Luna."

"it's not your fault, in fact, it's more my fault than yours." Luna rested the book she was looking at on her nightstand beside her bed. "If I had just listened to Captain Royal Shield, I wouldn't have been captured in the first place. So, what did Chrysalis say?"

"A lot actually, and i'm still unsure of what her sentence will be." Celestia sat down on Luna's hospital bed.

"You don't think, she will be executed do you?" Luna thought back to the last execution that took place in Canterlot, it's been some time.

"I don't know, justice will come though, but we have more important matters to talk about now." Celestia got back up from the bed. "Luna, i've been keeping this information from you because I am worried you'll get yourself in some trouble, but with you and Sombra, I just can't keep it a secret anymore."

"What is it Celestia?" Luna was curious to say the least.

"Chrysalis got the stone from some cloaked stallion in the Everfree forest after Cadence's wedding, then she brought Sombra back to life."

"Um, ok? But that's not the important information is it Celestia?"

"No Luna, it is not. Sombra agreed to help Chrysalis if she gave him the Crystal Empire, the Crystal Heart, and one soul he could save form the stone. You see, Chrysalis called it the Magi stone, but thats just a dumb criminal name she gave it. It's real name is the soul stone, and it's the most powerful object in the world."

"I don't understand? How do you know so much about the stone and I don't? How could you be the only pony who knows anything about the stone?" Luna was cut short from Celestia.

"Because Luna, I created the stone." Luna's eyes widened in shock after she just heard the words that came from her sister.

"Wait, you, you did it? This is all you?"

"No Luna, you see about five-hundred years ago, when you were still banished on the moon there was a war. The bat ponies of Equestria felt they weren't getting equal amounts of rights normal ponies were getting. So they all joined forces and made a massive army and declared war on me. I didn't want to kill them because they were still my subjects and I loved them, but they sure as hell wanted to kill me. So I created the stone to fight the war for me. I created it to trap the souls of the victims and imprison them within the stone itself. I would do this by blasting a powerful magical beam at the victim, moments later the victim would turn to ash."

"Wait, but Sombra was turned to ash, so does that mean that....."

"Yes Luna, Sombra isn't 100 percent dead yet. Chrysalis thought that she had killed Sombra with it, but she didn't. I designed the stone so that it would make it look like the victims were dead, but they weren't. Souls trapped within the stone are not dead nor alive. They are in a state of suffering, trapped in a void. The plan was that after the war I would free the souls from the stone and they would return to their mortal bodies."

"So that means, everypony that was turned to ash, are trapped in the stone, including Sombra. So, why did you get rid of the stone after the war?"

"Well, not everything went according to plan. Once the war was over I tried my best to free the thousands of souls trapped within the stone, but I couldn't, for some reason the stone wouldn't let me free the trapped souls."

"So you're telling me for five-hundred years those poor souls have been trapped in an eternal void with no hope of escape?" Luna got up from the bed. She honestly though that Celestia was almost as bad as Chrysalis at this point. She had accidentally trapped thousands of souls in eternal suffering.

"Well yes, thats why I planed to destroy it, so it could never be used again, but I couldn't destroy it. So I went of for hundreds of miles and hid it in a place no pony could ever find, but I guess one pony did find it." Celestia lowered her head, she was ashamed of what she did all those years ago.

"Well, that does explain your affection towards bat ponies. Wait, you said cloaked stallion?" Luna just realized something, something that completely makes sense.

"Well yes Luna, I did. At least thats what Chrysalis said." Celestia turned her head towards Luna, who was standing next to her.

"When I was on my way to Ponyville, to ask Twilight about the mysterious book, their was a cloaked stallion at the train station that ran from us. He did get away but I had no idea why he was running."

"Yes, I remember the report from that now. Do you still have that book?"

"Yes Celestia, it's right here." Luna pulled the book from a saddle bag sitting beside her bed. "Now come to think about it, I think Sombra made this book, for what reason, I have no idea.

"You know Luna, you have reacted differently to this attack than the last one. Last time you were all depressed and sad, but this time you seem happier." Celestia smiled at Luna.

"You're right you know. I think it's because last time, I saw Sombra get destroyed knowing he could have done better, but this time. Even though he was destroyed, did better than any of us could have done. Do you think their is a way to save him, and the others?" Luna turned towards Celestia again.

"If we find a way, we will save him, and anypony else who is trapped in the stone."

"This sounds like an adventure, count me in."Luna raised her hoof.

"Oh Luna, maybe you shouldn't. You're pregnant, have your child, raise it, make sure he or she will grow to be great. You will need all the rest now to raise a child."

"You know Celestia, you're right. I guess I just wish Sombra was here to raise my foal with me." Luna turned her head and faced her side.

"Who in the world would dare try to venture into the soul world though. I'm not even sure their is a way in, let alone a way out, who would dare." Celestia thought of just how dangerous a journey like that could be. The soul stone was in her custody, but she still didn't know how to free the trapped souls within the soul stone.

"We would dare." Behind Celestia and Luna came Twilight Sparkle, Flash Sentry, Lilly Tulip, Royal Shield, and Nightcore. They all walked in the hospital room, offering to save Sombra, and the thousands of other souls trapped within the soul world.

~~~~~~~~end of part one

Author's Note

Thats it, my first story done. Thanks to everyone who followed me and liked this story.

----More will come though ;)